ღ Shaman King ღ
by The Amazing Sakumachan
Summary: The story of how a young priestess-in-training changes from trying to be a normal girl to becoming a shaman and start a new life amongst her new found not-so-normal friends. Shaman King/Inuyasha crossover, AU for Inuyasha characters w/ Kagome/Harem
1. The Boy Who Dances with Ghosts and The G

Authoress' Notes: I know it took me a LONG time with the revision of just ONE chapter, but here it is... And I have a good explanation too-

One day I began writing (plat, plat, plat) I typed and type but all of sudden- _BOOM_! Gamabunta crashed through the walls and destroyed my computer with all my data too! Pissed off, I stepped on and crushed my flashdrive, permanently leaving me without any new revisions to this chapter... And to anyone who did not believe that story then really... First, I forgot. Second, I was lazy. Lastly, I just wiped my computer of all the files and programs without backing up my stories... Okay? _Sheesh_.

The story: Since Inuyasha is my all time favorite anime I've decided to make a crossover. Oh! And this story mostly follows the Shaman King anime story line but I will make a few twists here and there. So chapter 1 will start kinda like episode 1 and so on but I WILL add more things and maybe omit some things, though I doubt the last part. The story will take place in the Shaman King universe and it will be an AU for the Inuyasha characters. The main character from Inuyasha will be Kagome. I think Sango and the others will appear too. But Kagome is definitely a main character.

About reviews: Reviews are the only things that really inspire me to write and post chapters besides the anime and the story in my head. So if you like the story drop a review please. Even if you don't, I'd appreciate a little constructive criticism. I will not talk about flames because I think I will cross that bridge when I get there.

About pairings: Right now, I'm thinking of creating a Kagome/Harem. But what do you guys think?

Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King or Inuyasha and claim no rights to them but I DO own this fan fiction story.

* * *

**Prologue**

Kagome was normal... _Pretty_ much.

She was as normal as a girl who came from a long line of priests could be...

People had always told her she would be someone great, someone special, and someone _extra_ordinary... But she did not want that. She _never _wanted that. She never wanted to hear that.

Ever since she was small, she disliked when people told her how special and different she would. It was probably because she did not- even **could **not believe that she was different from any other girl.

Kagome did not believe in the supernatural, demons, spirits, or even Kami-_**sama**_. She liked cute things, she loved shopping, she enjoyed giggling and gossiping with her friends, and she dreamed of a beautiful marriage to a handsome prince...

At least- that's what she want to be and that's what she wants to believe... There's always had been a small inkling that she felt at random times... As she grew older, the inkling became strong vibes that she felt. Her friends thought it was odd... So she did not like it. On her thirteenth birthday, she fled from the shrine and all the strange vibes she received.

Kagome had just moved from her family's shrine that was located on the outskirts of Tokyo to a small, modest home in a quiet neighborhood in the big city. Although she was only thirteen years old, she was currently living alone, and she had her reasons. She would start school tomorrow. Although she moved to her new home around two weeks before, her mother had requested that she settled down for a week or two before entering her new school. She did and she developed a routine already.

_1) Wake up late._

_2) Run errands._

_3) Get lost for hours._

_4) Take a nap._

_5) Watch television._

_6) Take a bath._

_7) Sleep until the next morning._

It had been a Sunday when Kagome's routine was thrown completely off. That day she woke up at 4 pm instead of 11 am or even 12-pm. It was unusual because she had fallen asleep at her usual time, 12 am. Her mother had always disapproved of her lazy schedule, but Kagome had nothing else to do but sleep. She was only thirteen, had no job, no friends, and was all alone... No one to scold her or guide her, despite it all, Kagome went about her routine. She bathed until 5 pm then went out to shop for groceries. As usual she had gotten lost...

_And unbeknownst to the poor girl, she would soon be living the kind of life that she had tried to escape from..._

**Chapter 1: The Boy Who Dances with Ghosts**

**And the Girl Who Believed**

_DDDDDDDDdddiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnngggggggggggggggggggggg!_

The annoying ring of the school bell resounded through halls and through out the school. Its high pitched and nerve wreaking sound both grated on students' nerves and at all the same time, relieved them because that was the bell that told them it was time to go home after a long day of learning. Once the bell stopped ringing, a teacher closed her special teacher's edition textbook and stated the obvious. "That will be all for today class," she said, sending a quite fake smile across the room at her students.

They, in return, only wearily gathered their textbooks, school supplies, and other belongings and began stuffing them into already giant bags ready to burst open. A few students momentarily stopped to stretch their aching limbs then scurried out of class into the busy hallways. Night had already fallen and as friends and acquaintances went their separate ways, shouts of "Take care!" and "See you tomorrow!" filled the air.

This particular evening a rather small boy, thirteen years of age, hurried across the street on his way home. It was still difficult to carry a bag that was almost as big as his body but Manta still managed to make it to and from school and tutoring everyday. Stopping in front of the entrance to an old cemetery, Manta paused as he gazed at the gigantic bluish orb in the sky. It was so close it was as if he could run up the hill, that was not too far away, and be able to lay his hand on the moon and caress its rocky surface… But that was not possible. He was only taking a short cut home!

He entered the cemetery through the black iron gates that eerily creaked open as he rushed through them. The cemetery was as grassy as any other one. Tombstones of all shapes and sizes protruded from the green-covered earth, and gray cement stairs led upward to grassy hills where thousands were buried. There was also a small shrine for any mourners to pray for their dearly departed. Although he was usually afraid of things like this, Manta still took the huge cemetery as a short cut home... Manta laughed at his silliness after pretending to be some hero in some kind of ghost story.

_When I realized I was just standing there…_

_Somehow I felt…_

_That there was someone calling me_

Was he creating make-believe thoughts about some supernatural influence on his detour home? Manta's jog and self-brought laughter was soon interrupted by a content sigh followed by a matching voice. "The stars are so pretty…" it stated in an appeased way. It was as if the speaker's life had already been fulfilled although the voice sounded young.

"Stars…?" Manta questioned, blinking as he slowly turned his gaze to the dark blue heavens. It was sparkling with small twinkles of far-off stellar lights. It was then that he finally noticed them. Never before had Manta appreciated the stars until that moment. "You are SO right!" he agreed absentmindedly before a thought clicked in his head. A chill went up his spine. "Who are you anyway?" he asked, shaking in his tiny shoes. He looked across the way and saw the source of the stranger's voice. Someone seemed to be relaxing on the grass, beneath a lone tree on top of one of the many hills in the cemetery.

"Did you come to watch the stars too?" A brown haired boy asked as he slowly stood up. "Come on over," he continued, walking in Manta's direction. Although he appeared friendly, anyone who sat alone in a creepy place could not be normal, or at least sane for that matter. "We can watch them with everyone." He lifted his head, and the light of the moon illuminated his slightly tanned face; a small smile was worn on it.

"N-nah…" Manta declined nervously, inching away slowly. "It's getting pretty late." Not wanting to offend the odd lad, the dwarf sized boy added jokingly with a cheesy grin. "Besides, you can't say everyone since it is only the two of us."

"Iie. I can say _everyone__.__" _the brown haired boy replied, unintentionally sounding eerie.

"Huh?" Was the only word that could escape Manta's mouth for that moment.

"The spirits… are here too," the young man announced cheerfully. On cue, the boy's not living friends made their presences known to Manta. Their cheerful yet creepy grins not only disturbed Manta but a lost girl who happened to wonder onto the scene. Both stood there for a moment, frozen, their feet took root into the ground.

"Gh…gh…" the black haired lass stuttered. "Gh…gh…" her blue-gray eyed were wide with fear. "GHHHHOOOSSSSTTSSSS!!" she shrieked.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Manta added as the two high tailed it away from the unnamed boy and his spirit friends. The two did not speak to each other because they both ran in two different directions... But little did the two know, they would be seeing each other again **very **soon.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

_"The spirits... are here too."_

_Kagome panted, and gasped for air. _

_'Iie... I don't believe...'_

_Kagome shook her head and shut her eyes._

_"The spirits... are here too."_

_Kagome stopped running and weakly fell to her knees. She squeezed her eyes shut and kept them that way as she slammed her hands over her ears._

_"The spirits... are here too."_

_'I didn't see them. I didn't seem them.'_

_"The spirits... are here too."_

_'I didn't feel them. I don't feel anything... I never did.'_

_"The spirits... __**are**__ here too."_

_'No.'_

_Kagome would not believe it. She refused to... She was a normal girl... Higurashi Kagome. Higurashi Kagome was a normal girl..._

_**Beep!Beep!Beep!Beep!Beep!Beep!Beep!Beep!Beep!Beep!Beep!Beep!**_

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

"GHOSTS?!" came the simultaneous cry of disbelief from Manta's middle school chums.

"Yeah! I saw them on my way home from tutoring." Manta replied. "There was this weird boy at the Crow Cemetery then suddenly, all these ghosts appeared! The place was loaded with them! It was so scary…" the small fry explained.

"Manta… I think you're going a little dead in the head," one student told him nonchalantly.

"What? You think I'm crazy?! I saw the ghosts with my own eyes!"

"Oh, come on, Manta. Stop making up stories." another classmate replied.

Manta faltered, hurt that they did not believe him. "I-I'm not making it up!"

"You're seriously not trying to scare us?"

A bouncy girl who happened to be listening to the conversation added, "Maybe he's been reading too many horror stories." She giggled at him and smiled, "But do continue Manta, I like scary stories!"

"I'm not lying!" Manta shouted, finally fed up with them not believing him.

"Yup, he's gone nuts." the girl coolly stated.

"I'M NOT CRAZY OR LYING! THERE WERE REALLY GHOSTS!"

"You're probably just studying too hard. You need some rest."

"Or maybe…" someone whispered eerily. "He's being haunted," he added with a grin. Manta's other classmates shared a laugh with the jokester. The boy, not even three feet tall, tightened his tiny hands into a ball as his fists shaking in anger. Not only was he angry, but also Manta was also frustrated and somehow slightly embarrassed.

"But it's the truth!"

"I want to believe you, Manta," the girl explained. "But there's just no proof that your story is true at all."

"…Proof…" Manta asked slowly. That one word flashed him back to that dreadful night… Up to the moment when the ghosts appeared. There had been a girl there too… "That's right!" he exclaimed, remembering the girl.

"Eh? What is it?"

"I have a witness! Other than the weird kid, there was a girl too!" Manta told them.

"A girl… really? What did she do? Did she see the ghosts too?"

"Yeah she did! I can tell because she screamed and ran away too!" the shrimp sized boy explained.

"But still… We don't know this girl… So for all we know you could be making that part up too."

"None of my story is made up!"

The teacher entered the room and glared at his students that were behaving so casually in school. "Everyone, get in your seats. Homeroom is starting." Manta cursed in silent rage because his classmates did not believe him but went by to his seat anyway. Manta's eye twitched when he saw the boy from last night enter the room behind his teacher. He screamed, pointing an accusing finger at the lad, who did not even lay an eye on him. Manta's sudden outburst startled the students sitting around him.

"Do you know each other?" the teacher asked.

"Uh… um… no…" Manta replied dumbly, almost blushing from embarrassment. His face was beginning to feel hot. He did not know if he was blushing from embarrassment or flushing from anger...

"Then hurry up and sit down."

"Okay…" Manta whispered obediently before doing as he was told.

The teacher slowly introduced the new student as Asakura Yoh. Yoh stared almost blankly at the class as the teacher explained a few things about him. All the while, Manta glared at Yoh and thought about what happened the other night and how his classmates did not believe him but now he had proof! Suddenly in the middle of short introduction, the door swung open.

In stepped a young girl-

"And it's you TOO!" Manta yelled, jumping up in his seat once again.

The girl blinked confusedly at Manta as he pointed at her but she said nothing.

"Another interruption, Oyamada?" the teacher asked in an annoyed tone.

"Gomen nasai, sensei." Manta mumbled, bowing his head in respect.

The girl then bowed deeply before straightening up. "Gomen nasai." she stated. "I got lost on the way to school then I got lost again on my way to class."

The teacher uncharacteristically smiled at her and waved his hand dismissively. "This young lady is also a new student here, she moved from the suburbs. Please welcome Higurashi Kagome." Kagome smiled brightly at her new classmates and waved in a polite way.

"Let's get along, okay?" she told the class. Kagome stared at her class with a smile, which was normal compared to Yoh's almost stoic and apathetic expression.

"T-That's the girl too…" Manta whispered to his friend sitting behind him.

"Hontou? She doesn't seem afraid of the boy like you were," was Manta's friend's response.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

It was their lunch period. Manta had waited for this moment for hours. He could finally have the boy tell the others that he was not crazy, sleep-deprived, or a liar. The ghosts **were **real! Or he could have the girl tell them too. Manta glanced at girl that was napping with her head down at the back of the classroom. "I better not bother her." he stated to himself. Manta decided to try the boy for now.

Stopped Editing for the moment.

Manta walked across the classroom to the second row to the front so that he stood on the right side of Yoh's desk. The boy was smiling a small, content smile as he listened to his music, which was playing quite loudly. He must have been totally relaxed because his eyes were closed and everything... "Hey." Manta said. The boy did not respond. He was too preoccupied with his music. "Hey!" …Nothing. "_HEY_!"

Manta's voice finally reached past the headphones and Yoh opened his eyes. "Huh?" Yoh looked down at Manta curiously. Manta's friends surrounded the Yoh and Manta so that they could find out the truth for themselves.

"We met each other last night at the cemetery, didn't we?"

Yoh only stared...

"You were hanging out with those ghosts, weren't you?"

Yoh stared some more before asking, " …who are you…?"

"NANI?!" Manta shouted in outrage.

"I knew you were sleep deprived Manta," the giggly girl stated, almost annoyed.

"That's why you're _haunted_." another friend teased again.

More laughs at Manta's expense.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

'I will prove that my story is true,' Manta thought angrily, side glaring at Yoh who was staring off into space. 'Even if I have to- …Oh…?' His train of thought was cut off when a small folded slip of paper was discreetly passed onto his desk. Manta looked around the room and saw no one staring at him or looking his way to signify that they wrote the note. He unfolded it until it was completely open. It read:

"I believe your story about the ghosts and Asakura from last night"

"Meet me after school and we can talk about it (if you want)"

Ja ne,

-Higurashi

Manta was tempted to show the note to the classmates that did not believe him. But Manta knew better. That would probably do no good, and Higurashi would most likely hate him for it and they would both end up embarrassed. He would meet her after school... And maybe they would both expose Asakura! 'Yes...' Manta grinned.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

"I see," Kagome stated, tapping her chin with the tip of her finger. "So no one believed you?" Manta nodded in response. "But I guess that is kind of normal. Most people do not believe in ghosts, ya know." Kagome could not blame them either, she accidentally slept in because of a nightmare about her and her not believing in ghosts...

Manta nodded and again and replied, " I know! So that's why we have to work together to prove my story is true! So, you're going to help me out aren't you?" He looked up at his new classmate with hopeful and determined eyes.

Kagome nodded and smiled sweetly, " Sure!" Moments later, her smile transformed into an unsure pout that was almost a frown.

"What's wrong?" asked the short boy.

"Nothing but…" Kagome slowly peered around a telephone pole and peeked at Yoh, who was standing at bridge watching the serenity of the river. "Don't you think this is a little extreme?" Manta peered around the pole to stare at Yoh too. This was getting weird, but she would settle for weird as long as she made new friends. "Why are we spying on Asakura?"

"Because we want proof!"

"I understand that part, but isn't this considered… _Stalking?_" Kagome asked skeptically.

"…Eh heh, let's just call it a private investigation," Manta replied.

"If you say so…" Kagome sighed as they continued to watch Yoh watch the river.

**Three Hours Later**

Yoh was still minding his own business, watching the river with no care in the world. From his hiding place behind the telephone pole Manta gritted his teeth together in frustration. "How long does he plan just stand there like that?!"

Kagome sighed softly; she had already given up on watching Yoh and decided to leave the watching part to Manta after the first half hour. She was sitting on the pavement behind him. "I don't know but I'm getting bored with this… Maybe he-"

"Oh?" both witnesses blinked as Yoh finally stretched and yawned aloud.

"Is he finally doing something?" they asked in unison, both now standing and watching Yoh.

Yoh stated with a happy smile. "It's good to be so in touch with nature!"

Manta angrily jumped out from his hiding place and pointed a shaky finger at Yoh. "What the hell are you talking about?!"

"Huh?" Yoh turned around, only to see nothing.

Kagome had pulled Manta back into hiding at the very last second. She held the small boy in her lap and between her legs as she waited for Yoh to look away again. Manta pulled Kagome's hand from over his mouth then sighed in relief. He then got up and looked back at Yoh to find that-

"He's gone! We lost him!"

"Really?" Kagome inquired as she moved from the hiding space and looked around. "How did Asakura just disappear like that…?"

"What the hell?!" Manta exclaimed, pulling at his hair.

Kagome's eyes hardened in determination as she balled up her hand. "Oyamada-kun! We can't give up just yet! We can do it, ne?" she asked, offering Manta a smile. The small boy stared up at her pretty face for a moment before nodding in agreement and making a fist of his own.

"Hai!"

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Manta smirked as he clicked on the flashlight that was held below his face. Kagome laughed and joked," your face is scary like that!" They laughed a moment before getting serious.

"We'll stick around here for a while and meet up with him," Manta stated. The duo was hiding behind the mini shrine in the Crow Cemetery. He pulled out a camera and explained his plan to Kagome, " and with this instant camera, I can snap a picture of him when he's with the ghosts."

'Demo… Will a ghost show up on camera?' Kagome silently thought as Manta laughed deviously at his master plan. Suddenly their chatter and laughter was interrupted by-

"What did you say?" a deep, annoyed voice asked angrily.

Manta and Kagome stiffened as they peered around the shrine and spotted a very tall guy with a hideous Elvis-like hairstyle, and he was wearing a white outfit. He and a gang were talking about some boy who hung around in their territory. Kagome nearly gagged at the outfit and stated critically, "It's worse than wearing a suit made of bird-"

"Crap," Manta whispered. He looked up at Kagome with fearful eyes and said," That's Ryu of the Wooden Sword. He and his gang are notorious for beating up anyone who comes onto anything that they consider their territory."

"And it sounds like they're talking about Asakura." Kagome added with a serious tone in her voice. She looked down at Manta but he was too scared and engrossed in the conversation to care.

Ryu said something about not liking a rumor and threw down a tombstone, causing his minions to gasp in fear. The older teenager with an Elvis like hairstyle placed one foot on the stone and leaned on his knee. All Manta and Kagome heard was, "There's a price to pay when anyone trespasses in my territory."

Both spies watched and listened to Ryu and his gang's conversation about the curse of Amidamaru and Kagome frowned when Ryu broke the tombstone in half with his wooden sword. "If he can do that to a stone with only a wooden sword, think of what he can do to us if we get caught." Kagome said.

Manta shivered and looked at Kagome. "L-Let's just go home for tonight." He slowly backed away and froze when his foot knocked over a tin can. The sound of it falling and rolling to the ground seemed as loud as the school bell. It was as if the can wanted them to get caught spying on Ryu and his gang.

"Eh?" Ryu asked as he slowly turned in their direction, spotting both Manta and Kagome. "Who the hell are you two?"

Manta smiled nervously and innocently, "We're nobody. We were just passing through." He rose up his hands to show he was harmless, as if they cared.

Kagome nodded, "Un! We're innocent passersby!"

"Um, uh… Honestly!" Manta added with a nervous smile.

"Little man! You're the kid aren't you? The kid that trespasses in this area?" Ryu asked, before he grinned devilishly.

"No… What are you talking about?" asked Manta, still frozen. His legs glued to the ground.

Just as Ryu and his gang started walking toward him with their eyes glowing menacingly as they approached slowly. Kagome stepped between Manta and the gang.

"Iie!" she yelled. She spread her arms out in defense, blocking her small friend from them for the time being.

"And what's this? A girl," Ryu asked gruffly. He looked Kagome up and down then smirked. He pointed his sword at her and stated, "Step aside. I'll let you slide this time since you have such a pretty face."

"Nani?" Kagome gasped, blushing. This action made Ryu's minions laugh and hoot at her. Kagome put on her best mean face and glared at Ryu. "Don't give that crap 'cause I'm a girl! I won't let you harm Oyamada-kun!"

"Ryu-san, are you going to take that from a girl?" one of the minions asked.

Ryu patted his sword against his shoulder and sighed. "I didn't want to ruin your cute face little lady, but I guess we have to teach you a lesson too."

Manta gulped as the gang slowly approached them, their eyes aglow in the dark. They were as intimidating as a gang of demons would be...

"No holding back!" Ryu told his gang.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" The two innocent teens' scream rung out through the area of the cemetery.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Later that night Yoh stared down at Amidamaru's tombstone with a displeased expression. Something had to be done.

**The Next Day**

Collective gasps spread through out the room as Manta and Kagome entered the classroom at the same time. Manta had a black eye, a cast on his left arm, and his head had been bandaged up. And Kagome entered the room with only a small band-aid on her cheek. "What happened to you?" someone asked surprised.

"I got beaten up by Ryu of the Wooden Sword," Manta replied glumly, with his head lowered in shame.

"Ryu of the Wooden Sword? How did you end up fighting with gangsters?" another asked.

"Higurashi and I were trying to snap pictures of the ghosts." he replied pitifully.

"You're still talking about that ghost thing?!"

"And why are you getting Higurashi mixed up in all of this? Why she is not… banged up like you?"

"Last night they beat up Oyamada-kun. Then at the end, Ryu gave me a warning by scratching my cheek…" Kagome stood beside Manta and tried explaining, "And besides, it's true. I was there when Asakura was with the ghosts. I saw them too."

The other classmates looked at each other before one of them asked, " Higurashi-chan, how much did Manta pay you…?"

Kagome blinked, " …pay me…?"

"Yeah, to lie about being the so called _girl_ from the ghost night. Is he black-mailing you?"

"WHAT?" Manta shouted. "Why would I do something so horrible to Higurashi?"

"It's nothing like that!" Kagome replied. "Oyamada-kun and I aren't lying, seriously!"

"Then what were YOU doing at Crow Cemetery that night…?"

Kagome stiffened.

"Aha! I knew you were lying!"

"Iie…" Kagome stated. "We're not lying… It's just that…" she bowed her head in shame. "I got lost on my way home from the grocery store! I had been wandering around town for hours!"

"I see… That _is _pretty embarrassing."

"No matter! It's because of you saying weird stuff about ghosts is why you got beat up by Ryu!" Kagome looked down at Manta with sympathy. No one believed him, even when she said that he was not lying.

"NOTHING WE SAID WERE LIES!"

The class froze and stared at the small fry who had a lot of wind in him. Then came the fateful statement from Yoh," yeah, it's not a lie." Tears flew from Manta's eyes as he looked up at Yoh, who had just been entering the classroom. His eyes were full of anger, relief, and surprise. Yoh looked back down at Manta then at Kagome and smiled. "There are spirits." The classroom was now filled with silence... And no one spoke to Manta or Kagome for the rest of the day until after school.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

The three middle school students, who were now permanently labeled _weirdoes _were now taking off their school shoes at their lockers and putting on their regular shoes. Kagome watched silently as Manta quietly slipped on his shoes. "I heard about what happened from my friends at the cemetery." Yoh told them solemnly.

"What are you talking about," Manta asked. "I'm a person busy with studies… I can't waste my time like you do." He was feeling salty about the entire ordeal. He had gone of his way to prove that he was not liar. He ended up getting beat up. And now that Yoh told everyone the truth, both he and Kagome were labeled as weird.

"Oyamada-kun…" Kagome whispered, her eyes welling up with unshed tears. She too felt bad... She tried being a good person by helping Manta out, but now she was an outcast **again**. It was all because she not as normal as everyone else... Not as normal as she wanted... _No_, **pretended **to be.

"You're Oyamada Manta…" Yoh asked curiously. Then he turned to Kagome and asked, "And Higurashi Kagome, right?" Kagome blinked her tears away when Yoh grabbed Manta's wrist and began leading him away, out the front doors. "Well, come on. Let's go."

"Wai- Wait a second," Manta yelled. "Where are we going?"

"We're going to see Ryu."

"Ehhhh?"

Yoh looked down at Manta as he proceeded to drag the short boy, "My grandfather once said evil can not see spirits. So you must be a good person. I can't stand by and let a good person like you get bullied like that."

Kagome looked to the ground. Suddenly she felt… forgotten. She was alone already... And this was only her second day of school, and the beginning of her third week in Tokyo. She silently watched them slowly walk away.

"What are you saying?" Manta asked, yanking his arm away. "Ryu is total bad guy with many sidekicks! What can someone like you do?"

Yoh whispered, "No doubt, I am pretty weak."

"Then why are you-"

"Asakura…" Kagome whispered.

Yoh grinned over his shoulder, " it's alright and things will work out somehow…" Yoh grabbed Manta's wrist again and stated. "So let's go." Before proceeding on his trek to see Ryu, Yoh looked back at Kagome who stood idly watching the entire scene as if she was not even there.

Kagome's eyes widened when their eyes met.

"Are you coming, Higurashi?" Yoh inquired. Kagome wiped her lonely tears away and nodded enthusiastically. She did not ponder about how her sorrow suddenly disappear when she saw Yoh's smile and the warmth in it.

"You bet!" she chirped.

"Good, now we'll go see Ryu together." Yoh replied as he allowed Kagome to catch up with them. Kagome smiled fondly at Yoh and Manta as Yoh apologized to Manta about pretending to not know him. It warmed her heart because even though she was walking behind them, Kagome could tell that Manta was finally smiling.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

The night seemed peaceful enough for the time being. The moon was almost staring Manta in the face as he, Kagome, and Yoh waited for Ryu and his gang to arrive. The tiny schoolboy stared at Kagome and Yoh's backs. The black haired girl was nearly cuddling with Yoh to hear the music from his headphones. "Um…" Manta began nervously. Yoh did not seem to hear him and Manta guessed Kagome was too sleepy to care at the moment.

"Hello!"

Yoh looked at Manta from over his shoulder, bumping the back of his head against the side of Kagome's face. "Watch it!" she exclaimed, pouting slightly.

Yoh removed one side of his headphone from one ear and asked curiously, "Did you say something?"

"Well…" Manta began with fake smile. "Why am I the only one tied to a tree?"

"If I untie you, you'll run away." Yoh replied.

Manta looked at Kagome and asked, "And what about her, huh?"

Kagome answered the question this time, "Well, I came here willingly so there would be no need to tie me to a tree, Oyamada-kun."

Manta sobbed, "But why do **I **have to be here? Isn't Higurashi being here enough?"

Yoh laughed then promised, "When all of this is over, I'll untie you. But for now, I just want you to watch."

"Watch what, Asakura-kun?" Kagome asked curiously. Already she had gone from calling Yoh 'Asakura' to adding 'kun' to it.

"Watch you get beaten to a pulp by Ryu of the Wooden Sword?" Manta asked with doubtful, teary eyes.

Yoh smiled again, just a bit awkwardly this time. He did not know how to explain that well. "That is… I mean… I want you to watch… me."

Just then a familiar deep voice hit Kagome and Manta's ears.

"It's…" Kagome stated as they all looked up.

"Ryu." Manta's courage and calmness level plummeted from 10 all the way down to -100 as they watched Ryu and his gang approach.

"Huh?" Ryu asked as he looked up at the three younger teenagers. "Who is there…?"

Kagome watched as Yoh slowly stood up and brushing imaginary dirt off his pants. 'I hope you know what you're doing Asakura-kun…' she nervously thought.

Yoh grinned as he introduced the three of them to Ryu. "Yo. My name is Asakura Yoh," he pointed at Manta then at Kagome, "and these two are my friends, Oyamada Manta and Higurashi Kagome." Kagome sweat dropped at Yoh's casual politeness in this situation.

"H-How do you do…?" Manta asked half-heartedly. He was more scared than anything.

Kagome only waved a little and added, "Hi."

One of Ryu's minions whispered something to Ryu and he replied something in a low tone.

"It seems to me that my friends paid you some debt, now I'm here to return the favor." Yoh announced confidently.

"Favor?" Ryu inquired before chuckling. "Are you saying you are going to avenge them? You've got a lot of guts. You must want to see the other world so soon."

"Even the people of the other world say that you're just plain annoying." Yoh replied.

Kagome stood up then took a place beside Yoh and asked softly, " What are you planning to do?"

"Apologize! Kneel down and just apologize!" Manta pleaded from his place on the tree.

"Ryu-san! We'll take care of them!" One of his minions said. Another cracked his knuckles and added,

"There is no need for Ryu-san to get his hands dirty playing around with kids like these."

Ryu nodded and instructed, "As you wish. But leave the girl to me. Do not harm her."

Kagome glared at Ryu and asked, " What's that supposed to mean? Like I said before…" She pointed a finger at Ryu and yelled, "Don't treat me differently because I'm a girl!"

"But I'm treating you because you're cute not because you are a girl," Ryu admitted shamelessly.

Yoh gently used one arm and push Kagome back behind him. "And I would appreciate it if you left Higurashi alone." Yoh told Ryu.

"A-Asakura-kun…?" Kagome whispered, blushing fiercely.

"I'll do whatever I want you little-!"

"It's fine, Ryu-san, like we said." a minion stated. "We will take care of them, of course we will not harm the girl."

"See?!" Manta asked looking at Yoh. "Now they're interested in Higurashi and want to kill us!"

"I already told you, it will alright," said Yoh reassuringly. Kagome placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded.

Manta could not believe Kagome had so much faith in Yoh already. "He can't do anything on his own!"

"I am not alone," Yoh yelled. Kagome gasped and took a step back when a large spirit appeared behind Yoh and beside her.

"_I shall grant thee an opportunity to redeem your mistakes, so you should be thankful!"_

'Mistakes…?' Kagome thought.

Manta was thinking the same thing. 'Could… Could it be…?'

"Kick his ass!" Ryu commanded his sidekicks.

"Manta…" Yoh whispered solemnly. "Watch me closely."

Kagome gasped when she realized what was going on.

"Shall we do it then? All right! …Amidamaru!" Yoh called, raising his arm. Kagome and Manta watched awestruck as Amidamaru went into Ghost-ball mode. Ryu's minions did not seem to notice.

"I am a shaman," Yoh informed everyone who cared. "The one who links this world and the next…"

'Asakura-kun is a…'

"Sha… Shaman," Manta asked stunned.

"Let's go!" Yoh stated to Amidamaru before pushing the Ghost-ball into his chest. "Over-Soul Merge!"

"The spirit went into his body," inquired Manta aloud. The edge of Kagome's mouth slowly began to twitch then curve upward. The two men, who did not notice Amidamaru merge into Yoh, foolishly charged at him. Manta gasped when Yoh drew his wooden sword and easily defeated the two with a single swing.

"T-That was awesome, Asakura-kun," Kagome cheered from behind Yoh. A big smile was plastered on her face as she watched Yoh and Amidamaru with excitement. It almost made adrenaline rush through her veins.

"What the hell just happened?" asked one of the shocked gangsters.

"It was too fast to see anything." one of his comrades replied.

Yoh pointed the wooden sword at Ryu and told him, "You're next." Kagome gasped, though the smile did not disappear. She could see him. She could see Amidamaru's spirit inside of Yoh… "Are you prepared for it?"

'Who is this bastard…? He's completely different from a moment ago.' Ryu thought sweating.

'What the hell just happened?'

Kagome balled up her fists and yelled though it was not necessary, "Waste that gangster Asakura-kun!" 'And you too… Amidamaru-sama…' she added mentally.

"What's wrong?" asked the cocky brown haired boy. "Are you afraid to fight me… Rookie?"

Manta could tell that hit one of Ryu's nerves but for once he was not screaming for Yoh to apologize. He was amazed and awestruck… All of this was too cool to be real. But it _was_ real.

"This kid…" Ryu stated as he gripped his sword and charged full speed at Yoh, "Is a real bastard! Don't underestimate me!" Kagome gasped and moved from behind Yoh to a safer place beside the tree with a midget attached to its trunk.

Just as Ryu was about to strike, Yoh grinned and seemingly disappeared. He reappeared behind Ryu, ready to strike with his wooden sword in his hands.

"Ryu-san! Watch out!"

Everything happened in slow motion… Yoh and Amidamaru swung-

"Hmph, I won't kill you. I don't want someone like you to become one of us," Yoh mumbled, though Kagome and Manta knew it was really Amidamaru speaking through Yoh's body.

"Way to go!" Kagome cheered when she saw Ryu fall flat on his back.

"Ahhhhh! Ryu-san has been defeated! Run!"

Manta quietly replayed what happened in his head. 'Shaman… To unite with a spirit… the spirit's movement, skills, everything… Reappears using his body…' A single bead of sweat ran down Yoh's face.

"Amazing!" Manta finally said.

'I guess… It's over now…' thought Kagome.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Yoh stuck Amidamaru's wooden sword into the soil. He and Kagome closed their eyes in a small prayer. "Alright! It's perfect!" Yoh said cheerfully.

"What do you mean?" asked Manta as he looked at tombstone that had been glued back together. "It has cracks all over the place."

"Well, don't mind such petty things." the brown haired boy said smiling.

"That's right," Kagome stated, finishing her prayer. She ran her hand over the stone and smiled, winking at Manta. "Besides, the cracks give it character."

"That's the ticket!" Yoh told her, placing a hand on her shoulder and grinning. All three laughed at what seemed to be nothing at all.

"You two don't seem afraid."

"Afraid? Of what Asakura-kun?"

"Well, you saw me unite with the ghost," Yoh pointed out.

"Well, the first time we saw you _was_ with the spirits after all." Manta explained.

"Hm, oh yeah?"

"Un!" nodded Manta.

Kagome smiled and suddenly slapped Yoh on the back, laughing merrily, "You did a good job with Amidamaru-sama, Asakura-kun!" She blinked when Yoh's shoulders trembled. "Eh… What's the matter?"

Yoh grinned at her over his shoulder and said, "That kinda hurt."

"Oh you…"

Yoh sat down and Kagome followed suit. He looked up at the night sky and said, "Oh! Today's stars are really pretty!"

"You're right again." Manta agreed, looking up too.

Kagome smiled softly and admitted, closing her eyes, "I'm happy."

"Because Yoh beat Ryu of the Wooden Sword?" Manta questioned blinking.

The girl shook her head and said, "I moved here from the outskirts of Tokyo and you could never see stars like this there… when I first moved here I was lonely and sad because I would always get lost and I missed my family… I came here to start a new life and I thought you two screwed it up already." Kagome looked down from the sky and smiled at Manta and Yoh. "But now, I'm glad I met you."

Yoh placed a hand on Kagome's shoulder, "Then you're _real _lucky, Kagome-chan."

"Ka…gome-chan…." Kagome asked slowly. "What happened to just Higurashi?"

Manta told her smiling "Well, we're friends now, so you can call me Manta-kun."

"And me, Yoh-kun if you want," Yoh added.

Kagome nodded and smiled happily. "I'll do that!" she whispered. From that moment on the three classmates watched the stars contently with Amidamaru quietly leaning against a tree behind them.

**Chapter 1: The Boy Who Dances with Ghosts**

**And the Girl Who Believed**

**!ENDS!**

* * *

Authoress' Notes: And there you have it. I guess the revisions weren't as good as I thought they would be... I wanted to give Kagome more character... But like I said before, she'll have more parts in future chapters.

About Ages: Since I said it will be an Alternate Universe for the characters from Inuyasha, they will mostly be around Yoh's and Manta's age. Kagome is about 13. I know Ren is about 15 years old in the anime but like in the manga he was like 13... So um… Yeah, he's going to be his manga age in this story. It only seems right to me. When (and if) the other Inuyasha characters appear in this story, their ages will go according to Kagome's.

I also used a few basic Japanese terms that most fan fiction readers should know but just to make sure, here is a small glossary.

1) Iie - No

2) Gomen nasai - I am very sorry

3) Hontou - Really

4) Nani - What

5) -kun - an honorific usually used on boys that you are familiar or friendly with. Some also use -kun on strangers

6) Hai - Yes

7) Demo - But

8) Un - a grunt-like sound that means "Yeah"

9) -san - an honorific that is basically polite; meaning 'Mr., Ms., or Mrs.'

10) -chan - an honorific equivalent to -kun except for girls. -chan can also be used on young children both girls and boys

11) -sama - an honorific of high respect, usually meaning 'Lord, or Lady'

Readers: If you any questions, don't be afraid to ask. If you have any comments, I would love to read them. So please review. And if you have personal preference for pairings just tell me cause I take into account everyone's wants. Also, remember to vote for Kagome's oversoul! Thanks for reading everyone! Stay tuned for the next chapters!

For Kagome's oversoul, you can vote for which one you want Kagome's primary spirit will be:

Midoriko

Sesshoumaru

Kikyou

**SPECIAL NOTES: **_**I just want to thank a handful of people for all their help and support!**_

Beautiful Phantom- Thank you so much for everything! I appreciate all the help and support you've given me. You inspired me with your wonderful pictures and ideas! Arigato, Phan-chan!

Cool-Hanyou- Thank you onii-san for your help! ...I'm still gonna beat you up for calling my fanart gross. --' Thanks anyway though.

Bishonen'sFoxyMiko- Thank you for all your help too! The last chapters I posted, I screwed up with my dumb email format. Sorry T-T You worked on editing those chapters and I just went and ruined them!


	2. The Waiting Samurai

Authoress' Notes: I'm so happy that I got so many reviews so fast. Thank you to all of my reviewers for inspiring me to write. Here is your reward. And stayed tuned until the end of the chapter where some important announcements will be made.

Special Chapter Dedication to: naru-chan13- **My first reviewer for the new story!**

Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King or Inuyasha and claim no rights to them but I DO own this fan fiction story.

* * *

**RECAP**

Kagome was not so normal... At all.

She was as normal as a girl who came from a long line of priests could be...

_And_, her two best friends were not your ordinary thirteen-year-olds either.

One was Oyamada Manta: _He entered the cemetery through the black iron gates that eerily creaked open as he rushed through them. The cemetery was as grassy as any other one. Tomb stones of all shapes and sizes protruded from the green-covered earth, and gray cement stairs led upward to grassy hills where thousands were buried. There was also a small shrine for any mourners to pray for their dearly departed. Although he was usually afraid of things like this, Manta still took the huge cemetery as a short cut home... Manta laughed at his silliness after pretending to be some hero in some kind of ghost story._

_When I realized I was just standing there…_

_Somehow I felt…_

_That there was someone calling me_

_Was his silly make-believe thoughts about some supernatural influence on his detour home. Manta's jog and self brought laughter was soon interrupted by a content sigh followed by a matching voice. _

The other was Asakura Yoh: _"Shall we do it then? Alright! …Amidamaru!" Yoh called, raising his arm. Kagome and Manta watched awestruck as Amidamaru went into Ghost-ball mode. Ryu's minions did not seem to notice._

"_I am a shaman," Yoh informed everyone who cared. "The one who links this world and the next."_

'_Asakura-kun is a…'_

"_Sha… Shaman," Manta asked stunned._

"_Let's go!" Yoh stated to Amidamaru before pushing the Ghost-ball into his chest. _

"_Over-Soul Merge!"_

"_The spirit went into his body?" inquired Manta aloud. The edge of Kagome's mouth slowly began to twitch then curve upward. The two men who did not notice Amidamaru merge into Yoh, foolishly charged at him. Manta gasped when Yoh drew his wooden sword and easily defeated the two with a single swing._

"_T-That was awesome, Asakura-kun!" Kagome cheered from behind Yoh._

People had always told her she would be someone great, someone special, someone _extra_ordinary... Kagome never really wanted to accept that.

But suddenly, her life and opinions were changing, and she did not even notice.

Ever since she was small, she disliked when people told her how special and different she would be. It was probably because she did not- even **could **not believe that she was different from any other girl.

Kagome pretended she did not believe in the supernatural, demons, spirits, or even Kami-_**sama**_. She liked cute things, she loved shopping, she enjoyed giggling and gossiping with her friends, and she dreamed of a beautiful marriage to a handsome prince...

She _wanted_ to like those things and that's what she _wanted_ to believe... There always had been a small inkling that she felt at random times... As she grew older, the inkling became strong vibes that she felt. Her friends thought it was odd... So she did not like it. On her thirteenth birthday, she fled from the shrine and all the strange vibes she received-

Kagome now lived in a small house in a small, quiet, yet strange neighborhood in Tokyo. Although she was only thirteen years old, she was currently living alone, and she had her reasons. The night before she started attending her new school, she had her first encounter with the two boys who became her best friends...

_It did not occur to the girl that hanging around people like Yoh would bring trouble and the things she tried to escape her way. And it probably did not matter because Yoh and Manta were now apart of her new routine..._

* * *

**Chapter 2: The Waiting Samurai**

It was odd how the young trio turned a cemetery into a relaxing hangout.

"Shaman…" Manta read aloud. "They willingly put themselves into trances and communicate with spiritual beings such as God, Spirits, and spirits of dead. Shamans borrow the spirits' abilities and powers to cure disease and manipulate the government. Since ancient times, shamans have been the epicenter of human societies. Even at this very moment, shamans exist all over the world."

"What's that book?" asked Yoh curiously.

Manta smiled upon looking at the book, "Fountain of knowledge, 'Manjien'."

Kagome leaned over and peered down at the text. "You sure do love reading Manta-kun," she pointed out. "But isn't there a more interesting way to find out about shamans?"

"I'm not sure." Manta admitted. "There are not many people who know about shamans. And besides that… I still don't quite get it, even with this book."

"What?"

"About shamans," Manta said. "It said in this book it's different from ESP users. I don't get it at all."

Kagome tapped her chin, looking thoughtful for a moment. "…Ano…" she whispered.

"What is it, Kagome-chan?" Manta asked.

Kagome sat up and smiled, asking, "Did I ever tell you guys that I'm a miko?"

Yoh sat up too and asked, "As in a shrine maiden?"

The black haired girl nodded, "Un! I used to live at a shrine on the outskirts of Tokyo. My grandfather always used to tell me different stories and legends. The storage house has thousands of old scrolls and stuff Manta-kun… We could visit there and borrow some scrolls if you want."

Manta's eyes widened with excitement, "R-really? When?"

Kagome closed her eyes and replied, "Maybe next week if you're available…" She then looked at the brown haired boy lying down on the other side of her. "You'll come too, won't you Yoh-kun?"

Yoh grinned and replied, "Of course. As long as we take the bus!" he joked.

Kagome giggled and responded, "Don't be silly Yoh-kun. We're gonna bike it!"

"B-Bike?!"

Kagome smiled and said, "Yup! Biking it up past downtown Tokyo will be good exercise!"

"Demo…" sobbed Yoh.

"Besides, technically we **are** in Tokyo, ne? Just a little bit out, ne?"

Yoh groaned, plopping down completely on the grassy hill, "I hate exercise!" he almost whined.

"I don't think I could make it that far either Kagome-chan..." Manta added, laughing awkwardly.

Kagome waved her hand dismissively, "I was only joking. It would be easy for me to bike it, but I don't think I'd feel like it either." She imitated Yoh by lying down completely on the grass.

"I think you picked up Yoh-kun's laziness already, Kagome-chan!" Manta stated with a smile.

"Don't joke like that Manta-kun!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yoh asked before smiling.

"It means when you grow up, you'll be obese."

"Now you don't joke like that, Kagome-chan."

Kagome smiled softly, looking up at the cloudy sky. "Ne..." Manta said.

Yoh and Kagome inquired in unison, "What?"

"What exactly _is_ a shaman?"

Yoh sat up quickly, pointing his thumb at himself, "Me!"

Manta raised the huge book and threatened, "I'll hit you!"

Kagome and Yoh laughed. "Isn't it exactly like what the book says?" Yoh asked. "All of my family does similar sort of work."

"What about you?"

Yoh sighed and admitted, "I'm not interested in politics or religion." Yoh then stood up and patted dust off his pants. Kagome sat up and watched as Yoh began to walk away.

"Why did you come to Tokyo in the first place?" Manta asked.

Yoh stopped walking at the beginning of the hill's slope. "I came to gather partners. A shaman's level is determined by the strength of the spirits that aid him. To put it simply, by having a strong spirit at one's side, one is acknowledged to be a full-fledged shaman."

Yoh looked out to at downtown Tokyo. "I'm sure I can meet a powerful spirit in this huge city." The boy blinked when suddenly Kagome was standing beside him with her hand on his shoulder.

She smiled and said, "Manta-kun and I will help you find a powerful spirit- Eh-?" Before she could continue, Yoh was suddenly gone and standing in front of Amidamaru with a sincere smile on his face.

"So, be my partner, Amidamaru!" Yoh said cheerfully.

Kagome anime fell and stated, "You're way too blunt about it!"

"What kind of way is that to ask a spirit?" Manta asked shocked.

Amidamaru inquired, "You're asking me… to join you?"

"Yeah," Yoh replied. "Your swordsmanship was amazing! If it's you as my primary spirit…"

The samurai spirit stood up and told him, "I refuse. It was only a coincidence that your goal was the same as mine. Besides that, I have no reason to help you."

Kagome interrupted, "How about from the goodness of your heart?" Her eyes were shining with stars.

Amidamaru sent Kagome a disapproving look that made her squeak in surprise, "I have no intention of leaving this place." With that said, he turned around and disappeared within his tombstone. Yoh stared down at the stone with a disappointed expression.

Kagome knelt down in front of the tombstone and caressed its surface. "Amidamaru-sama must have some attachment to this place…" she thought sympathetically. "Poor guy…"

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

"Jeez! What are you thinking?!" Manta asked, outraged.

Yoh stared down at the river with a glum expression. "About what?" He asked in boredom.

"What do you mean 'about what'?!" yelled Manta. "You're trying to befriend that kind of a samurai! Amidamaru used to be known as a devil. He disobeyed his shogun and he mercilessly killed the hundreds of people sent after him."

"Hmm? A devil you say?" Yoh asked in the same bored tone.

Manta did not seem to notice, he kept babbling, "That's right! It's a well-known legend around this area. If you make him your primary spirit, you're sure to be killed! Just give up on him."

Yoh stopped leaning against the banister that helped hold up the bridge over the river and

sighed. Kagome sighed and propped her elbow on the rail, cupping her cheek in one hand.

"Manta-kun… You shouldn't be so quick to judge like that…" she stated.

"Eh? What are you talking about? The legend of Ami-"

"Manta-kun… Remember that since I am a miko, I have a strong spiritual connection with God, spirits, and other such things just like shamans." Kagome said. "I may not have been trained properly but I can feel it…" she whispered. "Amidamaru-sama was and still is a good person." It was odd, while with Manta and Yoh, she was not afraid to acknowledge her abilities.

Manta argued, "But you said you're not properly trained, so how can you know for sure?"

Yoh turned away from the two that were about to argue. "I guess… I'll have to make him my ally after all. He looks so strong!"

Kagome yelled aloud, "HA!"

Manta pulled at his hair while crying, "Weren't you listening to me at all?! You're just siding with Kagome-chan because she's so cute! That's not fair!"

Yoh looked at Manta and smiled, "Come on… It's only a legend."

"So you won't believe me?!"

Yoh stared off into the distance and explained, "That's not what I'm saying… I think such matters should be ignored. When I became one with him…" The brown haired boy placed his hand over his chest and stated, "It felt somewhat… warm."

"Warm?"

"Yeah," Yoh replied. "You just know those kinds of things… Ne, Kagome-chan?" He asked, looking at Kagome. She nodded enthusiastically and balled up her fist.

"Uh oh… That means Kagome-chan has an idea…" Manta whispered, taking a step back from his female friend with a fiery aura.

"Heh heh, you're sure burning bright all of a sudden!" Yoh joked.

Kagome smiled and nodded, "I've decided. I'll be a shaman too."

"Nani?" both boys asked in unison, Kagome nodded again.

"Are you crazy?/That's awesome!" Manta and Yoh exclaimed in unison again. Manta said the first part and Yoh saying the second.

Kagome grinned, nudging Yoh in the ribs playfully, "And maybe when I do become a shaman, Amidamaru-sama will agree to be **my** primary spirit!"

Manta tugged at his hair again, almost succeeding in pulling some out this time. "You too?!"

Yoh and Kagome looked at each other before Yoh continued explaining, "When you become one with a spirit, you know its true form… I don't think… he's a bad guy… However, I also felt a whirlwind of emotions within him. That guy… Why didn't he want to leave that place?"

Kagome frowned and looked up at the sky. "Amidamaru-sama… He still has a very strong attachment to this world… To that place." Yoh 'hm'ed and nodded in agreement. Manta looked between the two taller teenagers. He felt a bit lost. They both knew something he didn't.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Amidamaru was quietly resting on near his tombstone on the hill in Crow Cemetery. The silence was broken when a fellow spirit greeted, "Yo, Amidamaru-san!" The samurai spirit opened his eyes and watched as the spirit of a man appeared next to him. He asked curiously, "Why did you refuse the kid's offer?"

The man's uni-brow furrowed in angry as he shook his fists. "Damn! What a waste! With that body, you could have had all sorts of fun."

Amidamaru replied, "I am not like you, who was killed by a bear. I am not a fool who likes violence."

The idiot who was killed by a bear yelled angrily, "What? What did you say you heartless killer?! How could you say that when you killed hundreds?"

Amidamaru sighed, holding in his anger, "Don't dwell on it now." he said as he stood up. The samurai known as a devil looked up at the starry sky, a habit he already picked up from Yoh, "I'm here… to wait for someone." The samurai spirit did not know, but when he looked up at the moon... He saw the image of the black haired friend of Yoh's from earlier...

"_How about from the goodness of your heart…?"_

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Ryu strutted through downtown Tokyo with his hands stuffed into his pockets. He did not like it. He did not like this situation at all. Bystanders snickered and laughed openly at him- at his _haircut_. They were supposed to **fear** him. Ryu stopped in front of a store with glass windows. He sent kids away screaming when he pressed his face against the glass. The gangster stared at his reflection, remembering how Yoh used a wooden sword to cut his hair… He growled angrily. "That kid… Oh yes…" Ryu of the Wooden Sword would have his revenge.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Today's field trip had been all Yoh's idea. Surprise, surprise. Of all places, he chose the local museum, but they only went to see one exhibit. No one complained though. It was a bit of a distance on foot, but they had all had a reason for going- a goal.

"Eh? It's amazing," marveled Yoh. "How Amidamaru's sword from 600 years ago is still in good shape like this." The trio walked through a lush park area, down an unpaved road that led to the museum. Manta, the shortest, walked between Kagome and Yoh with her on his left and him on his right.

"Well, it's still an important part of the town's history." Manta stated matter-of-factly. "Anyway, why do you wanna see such things?"

"That's obvious. I want to know more about Amidamaru." Yoh replied.

Kagome, who had been thinking very deeply about the samurai spirit, finally spoke after a while. "I think visiting Amidamaru-sama's sword will be a good opportunity." She told the two.

"Opportunity…? For what?" Manta asked.

"To find more clues about what binds Amidamaru-sama to this world." Kagome said.

"I understand Yoh's interest in Amidamaru since he's a shaman, but why do you care so much, Kagome-chan?" asked the shortest of the three.

Kagome crossed her arms and frowned, "I come from a long line of priests. I won't let a poor spirit suffer eternally. Every spirit deserves its rest. Even if they are called a devil."

Yoh laughed, patting Kagome's head, "You're cute when you're trying to be noble." He joked.

Kagome's cheeks went aflame before she removed the hand on her head. "Mou. Don't treat me like a kid."

Manta smiled and teased, "Aw, she's blushing."

The trio stopped momentarily as a small building came into sight. "Harusame is displayed in that museum." Manta told them. Once they got to the front door Manta read the sign on the door and swore, "Damn! It's closed?!"

Yoh laughed, "I guess we came here for nothing."

Kagome sighed, "What a waste… Maybe we can come back another time."

They turned around at the sound of a bike coming to a halt. A man in a green uniform with a broom asked curiously, "What's wrong guys? Do you have some business here?" It was a janitor. They were lucky- _Really_ lucky.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

The kind man flicked on all of the lights and unlocked the doors to the exhibits. "I'm sorry, even though it's closed today..." Manta apologized. "You still bothered to let us look around..."

The janitor responded, "You came with the interest of this town's history. I can't just send you away."

"Ano… about Harusame…" Yoh began slowly.

The man laughed and said, "That's right. Harusame will be happy too."

Kagome smiled and nodded, "I'm sure it will be. Arigato Gozaimasu." She stated, bowing thankfully. Yoh and Manta imitated her before going to the visit the exhibit. Once they reached the small exhibit, the shortest of the three proceeded to read the information about Harusame. The katana and its sheath were displayed within a glass casing.

Kagome stared down at the rusted old katana and asked, "So this is Harusame…?"

The janitor summarized the caption and said, "It is said that Amidamaru, the devil, loved this katana so much that he was able to wield like it was a part of his body.

Kagome smiled and whispered aloud, "Amidamaru-sama sure is amazing…"

"Is?" Inquired the eldest person in the room.

Manta grinned cheesily and lied, "Oh! Our friend meant the legend of Amidamaru is amazing because people still fear him today! Ne, Yoh-kun?"

"Un." Yoh nodded in agreement.

Manta looked up at the man and changed the subject, "Anyway, what did you mean by what you said before… That Harusame would be happy?"

"I was wondering the same thing." Kagome added.

"There's a rumor that Harusame sheds tears at night. It is said that sniffling sounds can be heard. A katana is the spirit of a samurai after all. There must have been a strong bond between Amidamaru and Harusame. If possible, I wanted to place it next to his tombstone…"

All four of them stared down at the katana with gazes of wonder for a moment. "Well, at least someone came by." The man stated almost cheerfully. "Why don't you be Harusame's companion, in place of Amidamaru? Harusame will surely be happy." With that said, the janitor walked away slowly to go about his business.

Manta laughed nervously and looked up at Yoh, "Even though you're a shaman, you can't talk to katanas, right?"

Yoh went to sit down on a bench and mumbled, "Hmm… I'm not sure."

"Eh? Y-You can?"

Kagome said bluntly, "That's a bit freaky."

"Ah, forget about it." Yoh told them. "So, do you wanna see when Harusame cries?"

Manta looked at his feet and stammered, "Th- that is…"

Kagome patted his head causing the small boy to look up at her. She placed her hands on her hips and offered him a big smile, "Don't worry about a thing. I'll be here too."

Taking Manta's silence as a 'yes', Yoh stated, "Well then, let's wait."

**--Later that Night--**

Yoh, Manta, and Kagome were still waiting for Harusame to cry. But Manta had fallen asleep after a while, Yoh still watched the katana intently, and Kagome had become so bored that she began reading the book about shamans that Manta brought along with them. Suddenly the sandy haired lad was aroused from sleep by a strange sound. He sat slowly and asked fearfully, "What was that…?"

Yoh rubbed his stomach, finally turning his gaze from Harusame to his two friends. "I'm hungry, wanna go buy something?" Manta anime fell; to think he thought there was something to be afraid of!

"Are you trying to use me as your servant?" Manta asked in an annoyed tone.

Yoh grinned, admitting almost shamelessly, "Well, actually, I don't have any money…"

Kagome smoothed some wrinkles out of her tan skirt and smiled apologetically, "Gomen ne, I left my wallet at home since this skirt has no pockets."

Manta yelled, "Jeez! You're both so irresponsi-"

The faint sound of a water droplet dropping into a puddle made his blood run cold. "W-What… What is it this time…?" His eyes trailed down from a puddle on the floor up onto a trail of water that lead back up to Harusame's case. "It's… It's crying! Harusame is crying!"

Yoh stood up and told Manta, "Look carefully. It's not Harusame that's crying. It's that man."

The smile on Kagome's face soon melted into a soft, sympathetic expression.

"It! It has shown itself!" Manta shrieked, panicking.

The man looked up, his eyes filled with fresh tears. "What…What do you mean shown itself? You guys can see me?" The man asked.

Kagome nodded silently and allowed Manta to finish panicking, "Yeah! Very clearly!"

The man showed his manly pride by turning away to wipe the tears away from his eyes. "This isn't good. I'm embarrassed that you saw that."

"You don't have to be embarrassed." Yoh told him. The man was sitting cross-legged, had raggedy and unkempt, spiky black hair. He wore raggedy old clothing from what looked like a few centuries ago... If it were not for the sympathy that she held for the man, Kagome would have critiqued him on his choice of clothing. _Hid-e-ous!_

Kagome closed the book and placed it on the bench; she then stood up and stood behind the man just beside Yoh. "Daijoubou ka, mister?" she asked. "Why were you crying?"

Instead of answering the girl's question, the strange spirit turned around. He glared at the teens and he asked suspiciously, "What's going on? Who are you people?"

Yoh responded in a laidback voice, "I'm Yoh. And these are my friends, Manta and Kagome."

He pointed at the two others.

H-Hi." Manta greeted nervously.

"Hey."

The man crossed his arms and introduced himself, "I am a sword smith, Mosuke."

"Mosuke?" Yoh asked. "Hmm… That's an old name."

Mosuke yelled back, "It's a 600 year old name! Of course it's old!"

"Oh… I guess that's right."

"Yoh, you're an idiot." Kagome stated before she and the friend she just insulted laughed.

Something clicked inside of Manta's head and asked, "600 years?! That's during the same era as Amidamaru's legend!"

Mosuke asked in a shocked tone, "Do you guys know Amidamaru?"

Yoh replied, "A little. By the way, why are you haunting Harusame? That's Amidamaru's katana, isn't it?"

Mosuke lowered his head and admitted, "This is… also my katana."

"Really?" Kagome asked.

"Yes…" Mosuke said. "This Harusame… was forged by me…"

"That's amazing!" Kagome praised. "So you knew Amidamaru when you two were alive?"

"Yes, I know him well." Mosuke said. "I was the one… who killed him."

Kagome gasped and Manta asked, "Huh? You killed the devil?!"

"Somehow I doubt that…" Kagome laughed nervously but kept her thoughts to herself.

"You little idiot!" Mosuke yelled. This almost made Manta jumped out of his skin. The sword smith's shoulders trembled as he lowered his head again. "Don't… Don't you dare call him a devil! He's… He's not… He's not like that…"

"Yeah, Amidamaru isn't an evil being." Yoh stated. "Mosuke, tell me. What happened 600 years ago? What's the relationship between you and Amidamaru?"

Mosuke blinked away more tears and began his tale, "He's… Amidamaru is… My… One and only true friend." Kagome smiled softly, she was almost right about it. Mosuke began his tale, "It was a miserable era... War did not know how to stop… Great starvation… Terror from bandits... People were mercilessly murdered… In that kind of living hell, we lived only to make our dreams come true…"

_**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**_

"_It's a wonderfully made katana." The rich man marveled aloud. "Wanderers," he stated, addressing Amidamaru and Mosuke. "Was this Harusame made by you two?" _

"_Yes, my lord." Mosuke replied respectfully._

_He looked up at the fine blade and chuckled. "I have an eye for swords too. How about it? Would you two like to work here?" _

_Mosuke and Amidamaru exchanged excited glances before turning back to the lord. "Yes sir!" They chorused in unison while bowing respectfully. The lord chuckled his annoying laughed even more. _

_**But in the end… Hell was still hell**_

"_Kill Mosuke!" Amidamaru shouted. _

_The lord hushed the samurai and said, "Don't say it so loudly." _

_"Uh… however…"_

"_The eerie light cast by the sword is mesmerizing… Mosuke truly has talent. However, you know the more rare something is, the more value it holds. A katana like this… There must not be another sword like it anywhere. Do you understand, Amidamaru?" asked the shogun. "At least being killed by a friend is still pity, isn't it?" _

_**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**_

"_How can this be?" Mosuke asked. "We've come this far! Everything was just about to start!" He yelled, punching the tree on the hilltop where he and his friend stood. Mosuke sighed, "Do it, Amidamaru. For a samurai… A shogun's order is…" _

"_Run away." Amidamaru told Mosuke. "Quickly, get out of here." _

_Mosuke protested, "You idiot! If you do that, you will be…" _

_Amidamaru looked out into the starry sky and replied, "Don't worry about it. I'm doing it because I want to." _

_Mosuke grinned when he saw the smile on his friend's face. "Alright, give me the Harusame. We may never meet again. But I want to give you the finest sword. The finest Harusame." Mosuke explained with tears in his eyes. _

"_Mosuke…" _

"_I'll have it ready in half a day. Let's meet here tomorrow night." _

"_I understand." _

"_It's a promise!" _

_**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**_

"Those were the last words we exchanged." Mosuke finished.

"Last…?"

"What do you mean 'last'?" Kagome asked curiously. "Did something…" she narrowed her eyes at as she continued her question, "… happen?"

"Yeah, there was someone spying on us at the site. He reported to the shogun." Everything was starting to piece together like a puzzle; only, Mosuke was the missing piece.

_**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**_

"_No matter how long you wait for Mosuke, he won't be coming." _

"_We took care of him for you." _

"_We'll send you to the other world soon too." _

_Amidamaru told the shogun's flunkies stubbornly, "I have no intention of leaving this place!" With that said, the faithful samurai drew his twin katana and the slaughter of hundreds began. The once pure white moon was now glowing red as if the human blood had stained its surface. _

"_**That night… He became a legend. Because of his powerful swordsmanship, he was nicknamed the Devil. However without Harusame, Amidamaru eventually ran out of strength and…"**_

_**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**_

Mosuke held his head in his hands as he berated himself. "If I didn't exist, he wouldn't have died! It's the same as killing him myself…" By this time, elephant sized tears flowed down Manta's cheeks as he was sucked into the ancient tale of truth.

Kagome's fist tightened and she stepped in front of Mosuke. "That is not true, Mosuke-san." She whispered. "It is not your fault that Amidamaru-sama died. He is only human, or he was anyway. Every living being comes to an end somehow." She placed her hand on his shoulder, suppressing a gasp when she was able to touch the sorrowful spirit.

Mosuke retorted, "No! You don't understand at all! If it weren't for me, Amidamaru would not have died that way… Him… Being called a devil is all my…"

Kagome shook her head and told him, "Iie. I understand your pain Mosuke-san. I can feel it inside me…" she said, placing her hand over her heart. "When I touch you… If I were you… I would be honored."

"Honored?! Are you stupid or just heartless?!" Mosuke yelled.

Yoh filled in for Kagome. "I agree with Kagome-chan. It is an honor that such a great samurai would risk so much just to keep a promise."

Mosuke continued to cry. "Besides that… Until I give Amidamaru the Harusame as I promised… I can't rest in peace!"

"Then give it to him." Yoh replied casually, smiling as usual.

Mosuke looked up from the ground. Manta stood up, sobbing, "That's right! Amidamaru is waiting for Mosuke-san too. For 600 years, in the promised place."

"Wha-?" Mosuke removed his head from his hands. He could not believe what he was hearing. After all that time, Amidamaru was still waiting for him to deliver Harusame to him?

"Well, let's go." Yoh said.

Mosuke looked down at Harusame and whispered, "That is…"

"What's the matter?" Kagome asked. She really felt sorry for Amidamaru-sama and Mosuke-san. She would do anything for the two to be able to finally rest in peace. They deserved it after all.

Mosuke continued speaking, with an aura of shame and sorrow about him, "… impossible. With the Harusame in this condition… And to see his face now…" The sword smith tightened his fist in frustration.

"It's okay," came the response of the brown haired shaman. "Just leave it to me." He stated with another smile. Slapping his hand over his heart, "I am a shaman. The one who links this world to the next."

"A shaman…?"

"Use my body, Mosuke. Then make the finest katana."

"Is such a thing possible?" asked Mosuke.

Yoh nodded and smiled, "Yeah, it is possible." Kagome and Manta watched as a serious expression suddenly appeared on their friend's face. "Let's go, Mosuke. Mosuke, Ghost Ball Mode!"

Manta whispered in awe, "It's almost as amazing as seeing it the first time."

Kagome smiled and nodded, "Yoh-kun is so awesome!" Seeing the annoyed expression on Manta's face. She laughed nervously, "Eh heh" she patted his head and added, "Oh, you're okay too."

"Hyoi Gattai!" Yoh yelled as Mosuke merged into his body. The light that was being emitted by Yoh was so bright that the two others in the room had to look away and shield their eyes from it. Kagome could not help but notice how scary Yoh looked hunched over with his body steaming and his head low so that his eyes were not visible.

When Yoh began to move and he asked, "You said your names were Manta and Kagome, right? Take me to the nearest iron factory!"

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

The lavender haired samurai stared at the shining, new katana that Yoh held in his hands with awe. "T-This is… Harusame." Amidamaru whispered. "C… Could it be you?"

"Mosuke-san was still wandering around in this world without being able to rest." Manta told him.

"It is… Only he could have forged this sword…" Amidamaru stated, impressed, shocked, and... His emotions were once again swirling around inside of him.

Yoh sheathed the katana and stated, "A message from Mosuke: 'I made you wait'… Or so he says." Yoh grinned up at Amidamaru.

"Where is Mosuke?" Amidamaru asked stepping forward.

"Mosuke-san moved on…" Kagome whispered. "He said he couldn't face you after making you wait 600 years. So he already crossed into the other world." She explained.

Amidamaru laughed and said, "That's just like him."

Yoh placed the new Harusame in front of Amidamaru's feet and smiled, "And with this, you can also rest in peace. I'll leave this here. Later." With that said, Yoh began to walk away. Manta silently watched him before following suit.

"Ah- Wait, wait! Wait for me Yoh-kun!" The small fry yelled as he ran after Yoh.

"Yoh-dono…" Amidamaru whispered as he watched the two go. A moment before he began his crossing, the samurai spirit stopped. The girl, Kagome, was still standing there. "Kagome-san…?" he asked.

The black haired girl shook her head, smiling, "I want to watch if you don't mind… I want to see you off to the other world, Amidamaru-sama." she told him.

"Hai…" the samurai whispered. "Thank you."

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Yoh and Manta slowly walked down the stairs in the Crow Cemetery. They stopped to watch Amidamaru go from a distance. "Since he no longer has an attachment to this world, Amidamaru will rest in peace just like Mosuke-san, right? Now it's no longer possible for you to make Amidamaru your primary spirit."

"I guess… I did a regrettable thing." The shaman stated crossing him arms and nodding to himself. "Finding a strong spirit like him isn't easy." Yoh looked at Manta. "But if he rests in peace, that's the best thing."

"Eh? Don't tell me you… Even from the beginning, you were planning to-" Before Manta could finish asking his question, Yoh continued leaving the cemetery. "Wait! Was that it, Yoh-kun?!"

"Huh?" they asked in unison when Ryu suddenly stepped in front of them.

"I found you… kid." Ryu stated solemnly.

"Ryu of the Wooden Sword!" Manta dramatically said.

Yoh grinned, raising his hand and greeted, "Yo."

"Yo…" Ryu replied, "MY ASS! Because you messed up my hairdo, I am the laughing stock of the town- no, the world!" He got into a fighting stance with his wooden sword and said, "I will return the favor! Prepare yourself!" Yoh and Manta frozen for a moment before running back up the stairs.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Kagome watched Amidamaru silently as he crossed over; a pale white light surrounded his spiritual body and shot upward into the sky. "I'm happy for you Amidamaru-sama…" she whispered. The look of peace and serenity on the samurai's face warmed her heart and made her insides feel fuzzy.

_**Yoh placed the new Harusame in front of Amidamaru's feet and smiled, "and with this, you can also rest in peace."**_

That memory suddenly came to Amidamaru's mind. But the bliss the samurai spirit and the miko shared was sliced open by the sound of Yoh's and Manta's screams. Kagome turned and saw Ryu of the Wooden Sword beating on her friends.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

"Why…" Manta asked as Yoh held him steady to his feet.

"You okay, Manta?" Yoh asked with concern.

"You should worry more about yourself than others." Ryu told Yoh before swinging his sword down at them again. Yoh quickly grabbed Manta and got up and ran, narrowly dodging the attack. "And don't expect me to forgive you with that little bit of punishment."

"Aren't you overreacting? It's only hair." Yoh asked.

"That's not the reason! This is still my 'Best Place'!"

Yoh dodged another attack and replied, "Since everyone is so annoyed with you, go find some other place to go!"

"Everyone?! Just who the hell is everyone?" Ryu asked angrily.

"That was close…" Yoh said as he finished evading another attack.

"There is no need to dodge!"

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

"No! Yoh-kun! Manta-kun!" Kagome yelled. "Without Amidamaru… Yoh-kun can't win on his own." She looked up at Amidamaru and told him, balling up her fist. "I'm going to help them! Forgive me for not being here to see you off." She bowed quickly, yet deeply. The girl then took off, leaving Amidamaru alone.

She looked over her shoulder and yelled, "Rest in peace, Amidamaru-sama!" She ran down the stairs and gasped when Yoh and Manta fell to her feet. The fiery spirited girl glared up at Ryu and growled lowly.

"What's that?" Ryu asked. "You again? You're not very smart, always hanging around with these two."

"Shut up! How dare you pick on my friends!" Kagome yelled back. "If you were as tough as you act, then you'd pick on someone your own size! You're not a man, you're just a bully!"

Yoh slowly tried to get up. "K-Kagome…chan… Run away, quickly. You can make it without me." Once he was back on his feet, Yoh said, "And take Manta with you."

Kagome went to Yoh's side and helped him stand by wrapping her arm around his shoulder. "Iie, I couldn't leave you." She smiled, "We're friends Yoh-kun. We have to face everything together. It's better that way."

Ryu smirked and said, "How touching. I'd hate to do this but all three of you can be friends forever," he raised his sword and swung at them. "In the other world!" The gangster proceeded to beat the stuffing out of the three of them.

"O-onegai… yamette…" Kagome said as they were tossed into a tombstone.

"It looks like you're cornered now!" Ryu announced.

"You're pretty persistent." Yoh said, still smiling lopsidedly through his pain.

"Should I finish this now?" Ryu asked, gazing down at the three of them.

"Yoh-dono!"

"That's…" Kagome said, looking away from Ryu who raised his sword once again and up at Amidamaru.

"This is the end!"

Yoh shut his eyes closed. But alas, Amidamaru merged into his body at the last second and he caught the sword between his hands.

"Why…" Yoh asked the samurai spirit. "This has nothing to do with you."

Amidamaru replied, "Of course it has something to go with me. It is a samurai's duty to return a favor."

Yoh laughed, "You're stubborn…"

Ryu was slight taken aback, "Wha… What are you mumbling about…?"

"Amidamaru… sama… Thank goodness…" Kagome sighed tiredly. She took the unconscious Manta into her arms and scooted a few feet away.

"Are you ready?" Amidamaru/Yoh asked Ryu solemnly. Then he used the sword in his hands to flip Ryu over and send him flying into a tree. The gangster had been defeated once again.

Amidamaru exited Yoh's body and appeared before the young shaman. Yoh grinned and said, "Thank you. You saved us. Now go. Mosuke is waiting for you."

"It's seems like I can't do that either…" Amidamaru said. "Even though I would like to follow Mosuke, it seems like it'll be a while before I can go to the other world." This statement made Yoh's smile widen.

_**And so Amidamaru and Yoh-kun bonded with each other. And, Harusame became nice and shiny overnight, and was in the local newspaper with headline "Harusame's Miracle"**_

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Kagome, Manta, and Yoh were walking across the street in downtown Tokyo. "I can't wait for us to reach your shrine, Kagome-chan." Manta stated with a smile.

Kagome smiled and laughed, "Me either. But I wish you hadn't brought that book along, Manta-kun, we're visiting for scrolls and stuff anyway."

"That's just the way he is." Yoh said laughing.

"You're right." Kagome sighed.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Nothing, nothing." Kagome replied. She gasped when suddenly everyone and everything disappeared except her and Yoh. "What's going on, Yoh-kun? Where did Manta-kun go?" She asked.

Yoh did not answer.

"Yoh-kun…?" He just stood there. Kagome looked around; suddenly they were standing waist deep in a sea of blood. "Wh- What is this?" Her eyes widened at the sight of a shark fin rising above the surface of the sea, just enough so that she could see it. It was headed for Yoh.

"Watch out, Yoh-kun! Watch out! It'll get you! It'll get you!" She yelled.

Gasping for breath, Kagome's eyes shot open. She was panting heavily and her body was drenched in sweat. She was lying in her bed… "Yume wo…" she asked. Kagome looked at her digital clock sitting on a nightstand next to her bed. "Only three in the morning… The bewitching hour."

'What does that mean…?'

* * *

**(Chapter 2: The Waiting Samurai)**

**(!ENDS!)**

Authoress' Notes: And that concludes chapter two. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and continue with lovely, inspiring reviews. I think Ren Tao enters in the next chapter and I think Kagome will find her primary spirit. It depends on how much I feel like writing.

Between these three people, who should Kagome's primary spirit be:

1) Kikyou - 1 vote Poor girl… She's got no love

2) Midoriko - 8 votes More popular than Kikyou but less popular than-

3) Sesshomaru - 15 votes Wow, 15 out of 23 people voted for him

4) Multi - 1 vote I don't really have a comment on this one

But oh well, everyone I would appreciate if you helped me out with that. **This is the final chapter where you can vote so if you try voting on Chapter 3, it will ****NOT**** count!**

Also, like I said before I was thinking of doing a Kagome/Harem. But here are the votes for the pairings so far:

1) Pro-Kagome/Harem - 1 vote Someone agrees with me! _pouts_ lol

2) Anti-Kagome/Harem - 1 vote …Okay, I guess I get your point…

3) Yoh/Kagome - 4 votes Somehow, I have nothing to say

4) Faust/Kagome - 1 vote Uh… Oo Oh my… Okay, I got it

5) Ren/Kagome - 1 vote Hmm, this pairing was more popular before… _shrugs_

Okay people, you were so excited about Kagome's primary spirit that barely anyone voted for pairings. The romance that I'll write later are based on what's the most popular and what's the least popular. So if suddenly you see a pairing you don't like, you'll know why! Anyway, for anyone who is curious about the Kagome/Harem. Anyone who you want to be in it will be in it, like I said, it depends on what the majority says.

Alright, here is this chapter's mini Japanese glossary:

1) Ano - Uh; um

2) Miko - Priestess; a shrine maiden

3) Ne - Right?; hey

4) Mou - A way of complaining or expressing discomfort or being unpleased

5) Arigato gozaimasu - Thank you very much; a very formal way of saying _Thank you_

6) Gomen ne - Sorry

7) Daijoubou - Are you alright?; it's alright (in this chapter, the first definition was used)

8) Hyoi gattai - Over-soul mode

9) Onegai - Please

10) Yamette – feminine version of Stop; stop it

11) -dono - an honorific that means _Master_

12) Yume wo - A dream

Lastly, I would like to thank all of my reviews again because my story made it to 24 reviews, 3 C2s, 16 favorites, and 31 alerts. I'm not disappointed thanks to you guys. KYAH! Thanks so much!

I look forward to more encouraging reviews. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. See you next time!


	3. Higurashi Shrine and the Lonely Soul I

Authoress Notes: Come on people! I** would** have updated sooner if you had reviewed faster! Humph, I've got 5 less reviews than before!

Special Chapter Dedication to: Beautiful Phantom, I hope you had a happy birthday!!

Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King or Inuyasha and claim no rights to them but I DO own this fan fiction story.

* * *

Kagome used to thrive to be the perfect, normal girl.

She tried to be as normal as a girl who came from a long line of priests could be...

After moving from the shrine where she grew up until the age thirteen, she moved to a small and seemingly ordinary neighborhood in Tokyo. It was there that she decided that she would start a new life on her own. She would make new friends that would accept her and did not think she was weird. But alas, after a chance encounter with Asakura Yoh and Oyamada Manta, her plans were suddenly changed.

_Yoh stopped leaning against the banister that helped hold up the bridge over the river and sighed. Kagome sighed and propped her elbow on the rail, cupping her cheek in one hand. " Manta-kun… You shouldn't be so quick to judge like that…" she stated._

_"Eh? What are you talking about? The legend of Ami"-_

_"Manta-kun… Remember that since I am a miko, I have a strong spiritual connection with God, spirits, and such, just like shamans," Kagome said. "I may not have been trained properly but I can feel it…" she whispered. "Amidamaru-sama was and still is a good person." It was odd. While with Manta and Yoh, she was not afraid to acknowledge her abilities._

_Manta argued, "But you said you're not properly trained, so how can you know for sure?"_

_Yoh turned away from the two that were about to argue. "I guess… I'll have to make him my ally after all. He looks so strong!"_

_Kagome yelled a loud, "HA!"_

_Manta pulled at his hair while crying, "Weren't you listening to me at all?! You're just siding with Kagome-chan because she's so cute! That's not fair!"_

_Yoh looked at Manta and smiled, "Come on… It's only a legend."_

_"So you won't believe me?!"_

_Yoh stared off into the distance and explained, "That's not what I'm saying… I think such matters should be ignored. When I became one with him…" The brown haired boy placed his hand over his chest and stated, "It felt somewhat… warm."_

_"Warm?"_

_"Yeah," Yoh replied. "You just know those kinds of things… Ne, Kagome-chan?" He asked, looking at Kagome. She nodded enthusiastically and balled up her fist.  
_

"_Uh oh… That means Kagome-chan has an idea…" Manta whispered, taking a step back from his female friend with a fiery aura._

_"Heh heh, you're sure burning bright all of a sudden," Yoh joked._

_Kagome smiled and nodded, "I've decided. I'll be a shaman too."_

Without even realizing it, Kagome's goals changed to match her new life with her two new best friends, and they changed to match their goals.

_"Yoh-dono…" Amidamaru whispered as he watched the two go. A moment before he began his crossing, the samurai spirit stopped. The girl, Kagome, was still standing there. "Kagome-san…" he asked._

_The black haired girl shook her head, smiling, "I want to watch if you don't mind… I want to see you off to the other world Amidamaru-sama." she told him._

_"Hai…" the samurai whispered. "Thank you."_

_**S.H.A.M.AN.K.I.N.G.**_

_**  
**__"No! Yoh-kun! Manta-kun!" Kagome yelled. "Without Amidamaru… Yoh-kun can't win on his own." She looked up at Amidamaru and told him, balling up her fist. "I'm going to help them! Forgive me for not being here to see you off." She bowed quickly, yet deeply. The girl then took off, leaving Amidamaru alone._

_She looked over her shoulder and yelled, "Rest in peace, Amidamaru-sama!" She ran down the stairs and gasped when Yoh and Manta fell to her feet. The fiery spirited girl glared up at Ryu and growled lowly._

_"What's that?" Ryu asked. "You again? You're not very smart, always hanging around with these two._

_"Shut up! How dare you pick on my friends!" Kagome yelled back. "If you were as tough as you act, then you'd pick on someone your own size! You're not a man, you're just a bully!"_

_Yoh slowly tried to get up. "K-Kagome… chan… Run away, quickly. You can make it without me." Once he was back on his feet, Yoh said, "And take Manta with you."_

_Kagome went to Yoh's side and helped him stand by wrapping her arm around his shoulder. "Iie, I couldn't leave you." She smiled, "We're friends Yoh-kun. We have to face everything together. It's better that way."_

People had always told her she would be someone great, someone special, someone _extra_ordinary... Kagome never really wanted to accepted that. But suddenly, her life and opinions were changing, and she did not even notice.

Kagome went to Yoh's side and helped him stand by wrapping her arm around his shoulder. "Iie, I couldn't leave you." She smiled, "We're friends, Yoh-kun. We have to face everything together. It's better that way."

Ever since she was small she disliked it when people told her how special and different she would. It was probably because she did not- even **could** not believe that she was different from any other girl.

Kagome used to pretend she did not believe in the supernatural, demons, spirits, or even Kami-_**sama**_. She liked cute things, she loved shopping, she enjoyed giggling and gossiping with her friends, and she dreamed of a beautiful marriage to a handsome prince...

She _had_ wanted to liked those things and that's what she _had_ wanted to believe... There always had been a small inkling that she felt at random times... As she grew older, the inkling became strong vibes that she felt. Her friends thought it was odd... So she did not like it. On her thirteenth birthday, she fled from the shrine and all the strange vibes she received-

Now Kagome had two friends that were just as weird as she was… If not _weirder_…

It did not occur to her that for once in her life. She actually **belonged**.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Higurashi Shrine And the Lonely Soul**

**(Part I)**

"… Yoh-kun" Manta stated blandly. The two boys stopped and looked at their surroundings. They just came upon a small clearing within a lush, green area that they had been wandering through for about an hour now. "I think we're lost."

The brown haired teen grinned and laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. He held up the map closer to his face for closer examination. "I guess it isn't wise to use a map Kagome-chan hand drew…"

Manta sweat dropped and mumbled sarcastically, "I could have told you that." He looked up at Yoh and said, "here, let me take a look at it." Yoh nodded and handed the poorly drawn map to Manta. The shorter yet smarter of the two examined the map and took notice of the stick figures and badly scribbled notes on it. Yoh watched curiously as Manta nodded and whispered a few "uh huh"s as he looked at the map from three different angles.

Suddenly the short boy crumpled the useless map into a ball and tossed it over his shoulder. "It's garbage," he stated, annoyed. He looked up at Yoh and told him, "call Kagome-chan on her cell and ask her for better directions." Yoh groaned and Amidamaru appeared to silently chuckle at his partner's expense.

"Can't **you** do it?" Yoh moaned. "Mou…"

Manta shook his head fiercely from side to side while raising his hands, as to say "no." "That means **I**'**d** have to use my cell phone…"

The samurai spirit told them calmly, "I don't see what the problem is. I think the _cell phone_ is a very convenient device."

Manta asked Amidamaru with slanted eyes, "Would _**you**_ use something like _this_?" The short boy pulled a small pink cell phone from his pocket. It had a cute white kitten charm attached to it and the cell was adorned by matching white kitten stickers.

"_**Or**_ _this_,"Yoh added glumly. He pulled a small sky blue cell from his jean pocket. It had a pink bunny charm attached and was adorned by matching pink bunny stickers. Waterfall tears were pouring from his eyes and his entire body was hunched over… Just having the cell phone out was degradingly… Embarrassing.

The ghost floated backwards with a nervous, half smile on his face as the two boys slowly walked toward him, with the cell phones out, pointing at him. "Do you think," Manta began asking.

"Two boys carrying around these," Yoh continued.

"-Is really **that** convenient?" Manta and Yoh finished in unison. There was a story behind why they had such embarrassingly cute and girly cell phones… And of course, it dealt with their female friend, Kagome-chan…

**(The Afternoon Before)**

**  
**  
"We should have known better as to wait for Kagome-chan to arrive to eat…" Manta moaned when his stomach growled for the fifteenth time within the past half-hour. "She's late again… Probably got lost again…" Both were sitting at a booth, but on either sides, at WacDonald's with their heads and arms laying flat against the cold surface of the table… They were starving.

"Yeah but she said she would treat us to lunch…" Yoh replied miserably.

"Since she just got more money from her mother yesterday in the mail…" Manta added. He lifted his head a bit, only to bang it on the table. "But she-!" Before the blond haired boy could complain some more about his friend, his vision went dark when two soft hands covered his eyes.

"Hee hee," a familiar voice giggled in his ear. "Guess who," the voice said cheerfully.

Manta blushed and pulled the hands away from his eyes so he could glare at Kagome, who smiled at him casually. Yoh sighed with a smile on his face, "Ah, speak of the devil."

"Just where have you been?!" Manta asked, raising his voice at Kagome. "Did you get lost, again?"

"Tee hee," Kagome giggled nervously and scratched her reddened cheek. "Actually, there's a logical explanation for me being late today. Here, I'll show you." Yoh and Manta sweat dropped when she magically pulled a sketchpad with horrible yet colorful drawings on it.

"At 10 am I headed out the house so I could make it here at 12..." Kagome told them, holding up the sketchpad. The first page had a colorful picture of chibi-Kagome walking down the street away from her house. Kagome flipped to the next page and continued her story, "I was halfway there when suddenly Godzilla emerged from the subway, tearing up the streets as he went on a rampage." This picture had chibi-Kagome and a crowd of other chibi panicking as Godzilla blew fire on a skyscraper. "That's when I knew what I had to do…" Kagome explained gravely, before flipping the next page. Chibi-Kagome had a serious expression on her face. "There, in front of a hundred people, I transformed into Sailor Mo-!"

"Why were you _**really**_ late?" Manta asked with a skeptic look.

"…" Kagome had a blank look on her face, as if she was debating on what to say… or wondering why Manta did not believe her. "… I went shopping…" she told them.

"Ha ha," Yoh laughed, "that makes sense!" Then, he collapsed. His head slammed onto the table with dangerously loud **THUMP**!!

"Ah- Yoh-kun!" Kagome and Manta exclaimed in perfect unison.

The brown haired boy mumbled, "I'm weak… Please feed me…"

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Kagome walked toward their booth with a tray full of cheap, fast food. Yoh cried tears of joy with a small of relief on his face. Manta shook his head when Yoh clapped as Kagome placed the tray on the table as carefully as possible, without making a single spill. "Here you go, guys," Kagome told them with a proud smile. "I bought extra to apologize for making you wait."

"You're amazing Kagome-chan," Yoh said with a grateful smile. Somehow she managed to carry the tray from the cashier counter to their booth without making a mess or a complete fool of herself. There were nine cheeseburgers, three medium sodas, three medium fries, and three shakes and one strawberry sundae with nuts.

"Yeah," Manta agreed, nodding as Kagome sighed and sat down next to him. "You would think that a klutz like you would not have even made it from counter…" He began his lunch by plucking a single salted French fry from one of three boxes and nibbling on it.

"Do you really think I'm amazing?!" Kagome asked excitedly with stars in her eyes. Without waiting for an answer and said dreamily, "Then I'll definitely become a shaman…"

Yoh licked his fingers after he finished off his first burger. He smiled and said, as if remembering something, "Speaking of shamans…" Yoh reached into his pocket and pulled something out, he sat it on the table. It was a small, black, and-

"Isn't that a mortuary tablet?!" Manta and Kagome asked, gasping in disbelief.

"Those are meant to honor your ancestor's sleeping grounds!" Manta shouted, stating the obvious.

Kagome laughed and imitated Manta by plucking a fry from one of the boxes and placing it between her lips. "I see that Yoh-kun is begging to be cursed."

Yoh laughed it off and told them, "It's okay, as long as it's him." Manta paled when Amidamaru suddenly appeared from within the tablet. His eyes were closed and his hands with held together, as if he was praying. "Eat with us, Amidamaru," Yoh told his partner.

"Thank you very much, Yoh-dono, and Kagome-sama," he said respectfully, before opening his eyes.

"Ami… damaru…" Manta mumbled, twitching. Unlike Yoh, he was not used to the ghost yet.

"Ah, Amidamaru-sama," Kagome began with a cheerful smile. "How are you?" she asked.

"I'm doing just fine, Kagome-sama," he replied, looking at the girl. "At this size, I can get around easily, and the tablet is very convenient."

Kagome laughed and nodded, "That's good. It seems like you two are getting along well."

"Hai," Yoh nodded and smiled. "We're not just partners. We're friends, so we like being around each other."

"See?" The ghost and the boy sang in unison, scooting closer to each other, and smiling cutely.

"We should drink the shakes before they melt," Manta suggested, grabbing one and placing it in front of him.

Yoh looked at Amidamaru and placed a shake in front of the samurai spirit. "Here, you can have mine," the boy told him.

"Oh yeah," Manta said out of the blue. "I see you have a shopping bag from the mall, what did you buy?" Kagome gasped, she had almost forgotten. She lightly bonked herself on the head and laughed off her embarrassment. She picked up her bag from under the table and placed it on top of the table. Their lunch tray had been empty a long time ago so Manta returned it to the staff so it could be washed for future use. No one even thought that what they were doing was considered "loitering".

"Here, I bought gifts to celebrate our friendship," she told them cutely. Before either of the two boys could peek at what was inside the bag, Kagome grabbed it and placed it in her lap.

"I hope it wasn't something _too_ expensive," Yoh told her. He was not one who craved expensive, materialistic things. It would be a pity if Kagome bought him something that cost a lot of money, yet he would have no use for.

"Knowing Kagome-chan…" Manta mumbled, sweat dropping. 'It probably _is_ expensive.' He finished mentally.

"Oh don't worry about it, Yoh-kun," Kagome replied. "I got these for a bargain- No, you might as well have called it a **steal**!" She then pulled out three **very** girly cell phones and exclaimed excitedly, "Ta Dah!" All three came in one plastic sealing and in bold red letters it read: **TRIPLE TOMODACHI PACK**!!

"See?" she asked them. "There's one for all three of us! Don't you think they're kawaii?"

Yoh sweat dropped and said, "Yeah… They're… cute… Kagome-chan… But-"

Manta crossed his arms and told her stubbornly, "There's no way I would ever use something like that in my entire life!"

Kagome blinked twice, slowly, as the information processed in her brain… Slowly the smile on her face faded away until her lips formed a pencil straight line. Her blue-gray eyes were now slanted. All in all, Kagome did not look too happy. "So what you're telling me is that you refuse to accept my present?" she asked Manta.

"E-Eh…" Manta tried scooting as far away as possible from her. "That is…" he smiled crookedly. "I don't-"

"You're using it," Kagome told him sternly with a menacing look on her face. "One way or another…"

"Demo-" Manta tried protesting. He looked across the table at Yoh, who was only smiling a cute, nervous smile. "Do something Yoh-kun!"

"There's nothing I can do about it. Gomen, Manta."

"It can't be all **that** bad, can it?" Kagome asked curiously. "I mean- I thought it would be nice… This way, we could always communicate, even when we're far apart. Ya know?"

Yoh sighed in defeated and smiled, "I guess there's no helping it… Ne, Manta?"

Manta looked away from Yoh and Kagome to hide a blush and a small pout on his face. "As long as no one else sees me using it."

Kagome smiled happily and her eyes sparkled, lighting up her entire face. She practically ripped open the sealing that most people would need scissors to open. She looked at all three of the friendship cell phones and quickly decided which one would go to whom. "Okay," she began. "I get this one." Kagome sat a small, white cell phone that was decorated with brown monkey stickers and a monkey charm in front of herself. Manta's blood ran cold… He was hoping to get the white one. "Yoh-kun," she said before handing him the sky blue cell, "you get this one." Lastly Kagome placed the light pink cell phone in front of Manta and told him with a smile, "And this one is yours."

"Arigato, Kagome-chan," Yoh thanked her with his usual laidback tone.

"Ano…" Manta began. "Doushite…"

"Nani?" Kagome asked back.

"WHY DO **I** GET THE GIRLIEST ONE?!"

**(Present Time)**

**  
**  
It turned out that Kagome had spent her entire allowance on the triple friendship cell phone pack and their lunch, which made Yoh feel guilty for a while until she reassured him that it was okay. Amidamaru slowly inched away from his partner and his small friend while remembering their meeting with the young priestess the day before. "… Well," a cold bead of sweat ran down the side of the spirit's face. He wore a nervous smile while staring at the two boys. "You're right," he bowed his head in respect. He gave up. He would never use such a thing in public…

"Anyway," Manta said, looking up at Yoh. "Hurry and call Kagome, it's really hot out here!"

Yoh slumped his shoulder and moaned, "But you have her on speed dial."

"Fine." The short boy sighed in defeat. The heat was killing him, he wanted to hurry and make it to the shrine so he could relax. With the push of only two buttons, his cell phone called Kagome's. It rung several times until Kagome's familiar, feminine voice answered.

"Hello?"

Manta smiled and replied, "Hi Kagome-chan, it's me, Manta."

"Oh hi," Kagome said excitedly and as cheerfully as usual.

"Well, Yoh and I are-" Manta tried to explain their situation but Kagome interrupted him.

"Wait, wait, wait. Before you say anything, I have to tell you-"

"What Kago-?"

"I have missed your call. This is Kagome, leave me a message." Kagome's voice finished.

Yoh stared at Manta with a curious look. "What's up, Manta?" The short boy was stuck in stunned mode… And so was his face. "What did she say?" Yoh asked. "Manta?" After a few moments his right eye twitched with annoyance.

"Damn it," Manta cursed, raising his voice and calling Kagome again. After a few rings, Kagome's voice answered.

"H-Hello," her voice was shaky, unlike her voice-mail's. Manta sighed with relief; it was the real Kagome.

"Hey Kagome-chan," Manta replied.

"Oh…" Kagome said, not surprised. She did not sound too happy. "Ma-Manta… kun…" she stated. Manta blinked, wondering what was going on. "I can feel you…" she told him. "You and Yoh-kun are close… Look for a huge set of stairs." With that said, she hung up without saying goodbye.

"Is there something wrong, Manta?" Amidamaru asked. It was the same question Yoh was going to ask.

Manta stuffed his phone into pants pocket and narrowed his eyes, in worry and not angry, "she told me to look for a big set of stairs… And that's all."

"Hmmm," Amidamaru hummed. He closed his eyes and crossed his arms as if he was going to think deeply or meditate. "That is pretty vague." Manta nodded a couple times, agreeing with the samurai spirit.

"Not really," Yoh told them with a small smile. "We're standing right in front of a large staircase."

"Nani?!" Manta asked with disbelief. All he saw was more forest and greenery in front of them… and all around them for that matter. "What are you talking about, Yoh-kun?"

Amidamaru looked in the direction that Yoh was looking and suddenly he blinked, and saw it. "I see! How very clever." He marveled at something that Manta could not see.

"I'm definitely missing something," Manta stated to himself.

Yoh turned Manta in the direction of the _invisible_ stairs and told him, "Manta, I know you'll be able to see it. They're only two yards away. Look pass the forest… Look beyond what you see."

Manta sweat dropped at Yoh's instructions and mumbled, "Just because you're a shaman, doesn't mean you have to speak in metaphors."

"It is not a metaphor," Amidamaru told him. Manta sighed and frowned, he began concentrating. He squinted a bit for a moment… There was something weird but he still could not see anything…

"Wait-!" The image of the forest disappeared in a flash and was replaced with a very large, stone staircase. "Whoa," Manta fell back on his buttocks in surprised. He could see them! "They just appeared out of no where!" He exclaimed, completely amazed.

"They didn't appear of no where," Yoh said. "The stairs were here all along, the image of the forest past this point is just a mere illusion."

"Wow," Manta said. "Who knew that a slacker like you would know so much?"

Yoh blushed a bit and scratched his cheek, replying sheepishly, "well thanks I guess."

"That wasn't a compliment."

Yoh and his partner laughed a bit at this. "Alright, shall we go then?" The brown haired boy asked. Manta and Amidamaru nodded in unison. The three started up the stairs. It was typical that there was so many stairs. It _was_ a shrine after all…

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Both Yoh and Manta were panting heavily when they finally made it to the top of the stairs and to the entrance to the shrine. Amidamaru was floating beside them and he said, "The trip up the stairs took longer than expected."

"It was no problem for you," Manta replied. His throat was dry and burning for a cool drink. Just breathing the air made it even drier. Yoh was in no better condition. Before anyone could suggest looking around, a woman in her mid thirties slowly walked toward them. They looked at the woman in awe. She looked a lot like Kagome. Her skin was a bit paler, but it was most likely because she got less sun than Kagome. Her eyes were also a chocolate brown color, yet Kagome's were an unusual blue-grey. She was carrying two glasses of red liquid on a silver tray.

"Why hello there," she greeted them warmly. She was wearing a white apron over her brown dress and matching white slippers. "Are your names are Yoh and Manta?" The boys looked at each other then nodded.

"But how did you know?" Manta questioned.

The woman laughed and answered, "I'm Kagome's mother, Higurashi Kun-Loon. She's told me a lot about you, and that you'd be visiting today."

"Well it's nice to meet you," Yoh stated with a friendly smile.

Kun-Loon smiled and nodded then said, "I'm sure your trip up the stairs made you hot and thirsty. I brought you some nice, cold cranberry-juice. Please, have some." Yoh smiled gratefully and took both glasses. He handed one to Manta, and they both drank the juice. "Come, follow me, Kagome is with her cousins and grandmother right now. I'll take you to her."

Manta looked around as he slowly drank his juice. It was bitter, but he liked the taste. Yoh did not enjoy favor the flavor as much as Manta did, but it was not bad. The shrine grounds were the size of a normal shrine's, which meant it was pretty big. To the left was a house, to the right was a huge tree, farther down to the right was a well house, and straight down the middle was the temple. The group of four walked down the paved sidewalk towards the temple as Kagome's mother held a mostly one-sided conversation with them.

"The moment I saw you, I knew exactly who you were," Kun-Loon said. "Kagome calls me everyday to tell me about everything you do together. She talks for an hour nonstop, all about you." The warm-hearted woman laughed lightly. She continued talking as she led them around the temple towards the back of it. "The first day she became friends with you, she said…

_"Mom! Guess what? I made two friends already! They're weird, but they're still cool. Manta-kun is __**extremely**__ short and he has the weirdest sandy brown hair! He's so smart but so stubborn and determined at the same time. And Yoh-kun is so cool and he's a shaman! I don't get how someone so lazy, can be so strong. You should have seen how he and Amidamaru defeated Ryu, a gangster!"_

Manta blinked, it seemed like Kun-Loon had took the words right out of Kagome's mouth. It sounded like something Kagome would say. "I'm glad you three became friends with my Kagome," Kun-Loon told them. "She tried hiding it, but she used to be so depressed…" Before anyone could ask Kun-Loon anything about her statement, they came to the back of the temple, where they could see Kagome was with three other people.

Their friend, who usually wore cute outfits out of school, sported tradition priestess garbs. Her long hair, that was usually worn straight back, was up in a slightly messy ponytail. She wore a plain, white kimono top, red hakamas, white split-toed socks with sandals. All in all, Kagome's body did not quite fill out the outfit so well. She was sitting cross-legged on the ground with her hands up in some kind of hand-sign. Her face, which usually had on a happy or cheerful expression, was peaceful and serene with her eyes closed.

The other three people were two girls that were around Kagome's age and a very old woman. Those three also had on priestess outfits. The old woman's outfit was the same as Kagome's, while the two girls' were different. One girl had long dark hair that had a bluish tint to it, much like Kagome's, except this girl's hair was lighter in color. She wore a white and light blue priestess outfit. The other girl had short reddish-brown hair and a red version of the other girl's outfit. The two girls and the old woman slowly looked in their direction, sensing their presences, but not feeling threatened.

"Um, hi, we're here to see Kagome-chan," Manta greeted a bit nervously. It seemed like he, Yoh, and Amidamaru were interrupting something serious. The two girls had been standing on one side of Kagome while the old woman stood on another. Hearing Manta's voice, Kagome's eyes-lids struggled to stay closed. She was losing concentration…

The dark haired girl in blue told the old woman, "Do not worry, Kaede-baasan. We'll take care of these intruders." The red haired girl nodded in agreement, and the two soon began moving in perfect unison. They stepped forward and turned their attention to Yoh and the others.

Kun-Loon smiled behind her hand and whispered, "oh my, I think something is going happen. I should get more juice… Excuse me." She bowed and walked away, taking her tray and Yoh and Manta's empty glasses.

The dark haired girl summoned an ordinary staff to her hand as the red haired one did. "I am Higurashi Momiji," the red haired girl announced.

"And I am Higurashi Botan," the dark haired girl said. They held up their staffs in a defensive position and said in unison, **"We will not allow you to distract Higurashi Kagome from her training!!"**

Manta unconsciously stepped back with one foot and trembled a bit, "We're not intruders, we're friends!"

Yoh stepped forward and explained calmly, "we're not here to cause trouble. Kagome-chan invited us over today to tour the shrine."

Amidamaru floated beside Yoh and added, "Yoh-dono is telling the truth, so lower your weapons."

The two priestesses looked at each other after glancing at the spirit. They nodded at each other, knowing the others' thoughts. Botan glared at Amidamaru and said, "As priestesses, we will not allow a spirit to freely roam the Earth!"

Momiji's right hand then began to glow a pale purple color. "Prepare to be put to eternal rest," she shouted before charging at Amidamaru. Yoh and Amidamaru stood as still as statues as Momiji, with her swift speed, ran at them with a staff glowing menacingly in her hands.

"HHHHHHaaaaaaa," she shouted, leaping in the air. "Be gone from this world!" She swung her staff down over her head and-

"NANI?!" Momiji and Botan yelled outrageously.

Yoh had stepped in front of Amidamaru and caught Momiji's staff between his hands. Momiji pressed down and pushed as hard as she could. Slowly the glow on her staff faded away and she jumped back a couple of feet. "What's up with that, Momiji?!" Botan screamed.

"Like we said, we're friends of Kagome." Yoh told them. "We're not intruders. And Amidamaru here," the boy jabbed his thumb behind him at his partner, "is my partner, not a restless spirit."

Botan ran up beside Momiji and lifted her staff, despite what Yoh said. Momiji looked at Yoh's face and said, "It seems like this boy is not an ordinary human. He's a shaman." She lowered her head so that her bangs could hide a blush that spread on face, from one cheek to another. "A pretty powerful one, for someone his age."

Manta nodded and said, "That's right. Yoh's a shaman, and I'm Manta, just a human. Didn't Kagome tell you we were coming today?"

Kagome's eyelids fluttered even more until her concentration completely shattered. "Sha… man…" she whispered slowly. Her mind was just registering all the voices and the conversation that she had heard. "Yoh… kun…" she said. "And… Manta-kun…" she added. Kaede narrowed the eye that was not covered by an eye patch in frustration when Kagome's blue-grey eyes slowly opened. She blinked a few times to clear the fog away from her vision…

"You see!" Momiji yelled, pointing at Yoh, Manta, and Amidamaru, "this is all **your** fault!"

"That's right!" Botan added. "Kagome has, once again, failed at creating a basic barrier!"

"Wait a minute!" Kagome interjected quickly. She stood up and looked from her friends to her cousins then back to her friends. "Obaa-san!" she cried angrily. "Just when did they get here?!" she asked. "You promised to let me give them a tour of the shrine when they arrived! Why didn't you tell me?!"

Kaede closed her eyes calmly and answered, "You were so close to creating a barrier that I did not want to disturb you. I could feel your energy solidifying around you."

"That's no excuse!" Kagome yelled back.

Momiji and Botan turned to Kagome angrily and yelled at her in unison, "Do not raise your voice at Kaede-baasan! Show some respect for your superiors!"

Kagome stomped up the two and gave them a glare that made Yoh, Manta, and Amidamaru shudder. "Who asked YOU?!"

Amidamaru chuckled nervously and said, "I see a bad temper runs in the family."

"More like a big mouth," Manta replied.

"And they're supposed to be shrine maidens," Yoh joked. "They're the most interesting ones I've ever seen."

Momiji blushed at what Yoh had said then smiled proudly, placing her hands on her hips, "I see that Yoh-kun has good taste."

Botan flipped her hair and smiled cutely, "Momiji, as a priestess, you should be more humble. A great shaman like him, deserves only the best…" Momiji and Kagome's eye twitched at her next statement. "For instance, like me."

It was Momiji's turn to glare to Botan. "And what makes you think that you're the best, _sister_?" she asked.

"Wweeellll," Botan almost sang the word. "For one, priestesses are supposed to be young, _beautiful_ maidens. Kagome is a month and two days older than us, and you're the older twin by four minutes. Second, I am **much** more advanced than you two are in almost everything…"

Kagome blanked out Botan's list and Momiji's face was flushed and yelling as she sighed and walked toward her friends. "Sorry guys…" she smiled sheepishly. "I was in the middle of some priestess training. I came here in the morning to get ready and somehow I ended up being dragged into training sessions with Kaede-baasan and those two!"

Yoh smiled and replied, "It's fine, Kagome-chan. It turns out that your family is really interesting."

Manta nodded and added, "Besides, no one got hurt. And I never got to see a real, live priestess before. I've only seen pictures in the books I've read about them."

Kagome placed her hands on her hips and glared down at Manta. "What do you mean you've never seen a real, live priestess before? How long have we've been friends?"

Realizing his mistake, Manta raised his hands in a defensive way and said, "Gomen ne, Kagome-chan. I didn't mean it that way! I mean, it's easier to picture you as a priestess when you wear that outfit!"

"You look really cute in your miko garbs by the way." Amidamaru said with a genuine smile on his face.

Kagome blushed and smiled, "Well thanks, Amidamaru-sama." She tugged at the large top and said absentmindedly, "They're a little too big for me…"

"Well, let's get going." Yoh said cheerfully.

"Oh yeah, let's," Kagome agreed and nodded. First she grabbed Manta's small hand then took Yoh's hand with her other hand and began dragging them away from her sighing grandmother and her bickering cousins. "And don't let Momiji and Botan bother you." she said. "They're twin sisters, and they're only priestesses in training, like me. They trained a lot more than me though."

"They're kinda weird…" Manta admitted. "One minute they're so in synch that they can read each other's thoughts, and the next they're arguing over nothing!"

"Ha ha," Kagome laughed. "Yeah, they get along perfectly most of the time… Until a cute boy comes along, then they bicker over who's the better twin."

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

The day had flown by as Kagome showed her friends around the entire Higurashi property. She had showed them around her house. She explained the legend of the Goshinboku, or God Tree. She showed them inside the well house. She even told them all the legends her grandfather told her and her family history as she showed them around the temple. Kagome lit a few candles as she unlocked the door to the dark storage room. Manta, Amidamaru, and Yoh followed behind her through the door and entered the long yet narrow spaced room.

There were shelves with thousands of scrolls, antiques, and ancient weapons on both sides of the room. They had to walk in a single file line because there was hardly any space between the shelves. "This room holds all the things past down from generation to generation in my family…" Kagome explained. "I'm sure there are plenty of scrolls about shamans in here, Manta-kun… Just look around." She carefully placed a candle on each shelf to light up the room.

With that said, everyone looked around at the things on the shelves. Yoh and Amidamaru admired the weapons that were placed in cases on the top shelves. Kagome helped Manta by handing him the scrolls that were too high for him to reach. She then opened a random scroll and began to reading the words in faded ink… It seemed interesting. There was an intricate painting of a beautiful, silver-haired man dressed in elegant yet armored clothing.

_**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**_

_**  
**__  
I, Higurashi Ran, will record the story of the Great Dog Demon Sesshomaru and my younger sister Higurashi Rin to inform future generations of a tragedy in the family._

We were only children when we were orphaned with no other living relatives. I was thirteen years old and Rin was nine years old when a horde of demons raided our village and attacked our shrine. Our father was a priest and he fought the demons as much as he could. Our mother, however, married into the family, and had no powers to fight. She was killed mercilessly…

Alone, and unwanted by the villagers that survived the attacks, we took off into the darkness the next night. We traveled long and far until we could not walk another step… We were weary, exhausted, starving, and heartbroken… "I am sorry little sister," I told Rin when both collapsed onto the forest floor. "I am your older sister, yet I can not take care of you. I can not go on from this point…"

Rin, who had lost voice from the horrific events of the demon raid, only shook her head, crying… Her silent tears broke my heart even more… I knew that she did not blame me for her starvation and evitable death. We lied next to each other, and I grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

"Let us meet again in the next life…" I told her. She nodded wordlessly and closed her eyes… And died…

_**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**_

Kagome eyes widened and she gasped softly… She paused and re-read the last two words. "And died…" she whispered. "And died… She died…" She shook her head. There was more to read.

_**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**_

_**  
**__I did not die. But just lied there for days, next to the corpse of my younger sister. Just as I felt my last drop of energy leave my body, a sudden flash of warm, white light washed over Rin and me. I felt energized; I sat up and saw Rin opening her eyes. A beautiful demon with long silver and gold eyes had revived us with his sword, which is known as Tenseiga._

_**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G**__**.**_

_**  
**_  
Kagome quietly read the scroll from start to finish… The story was interesting. At first, it turned out that this _Sesshomaru_ guy had revived the Higurashi sisters just to test out the abilities of his sword. Both Ran and Rin became his servants, but the demon lord favored Rin for some reason… But one day, a group of demon bandits launched a surprise attack on Sesshomaru during Rin's eleventh birthday celebration. Just after Sesshomaru was giving Tenseiga to Rin as a gift, it was stolen from her, and she was slain… Sesshomaru soon killed all the bandits and recovered Tenseiga…

But for some reason, Rin's spirit departed from her body quickly. Although a funeral was held for her safe departure to the next world, Ran and Sesshomaru sensed that Rin's spirit was still wandering the world of the living. Sesshomaru took Tenseiga and set out to find Rin… But he never returned…

'Hmmm…' Kagome thought to herself. 'That guy… Sesshomaru… I remember seeing him from somewhere… but where?'

"Kagome-chan!!" Manta yelled suddenly, causing Kagome to jump a foot in the air. She panted heavily with her hand placed over her heart.

"What is it?" she asked, her heart racing inside her chest.

Yoh laughed lightly and placed his hand on her shoulder. "It's gotten dark quite a while ago, Manta thought we should wrap things up."

Kagome blinked and then asked disappointed, "whhhaaatt? _Really_? It's dark already?!"

Manta nodded, his arms were full of old, dusty scrolls. "Hai, I think it's about seven o'clock. You talked the whole day away."

Kagome sweat dropped and smiled weirdly, "I don't remember doing that." Her smiled widened then she said, "alright, alright. I'll let you go. Sorry… I probably got the whole 'talk people's ears off' thing from my grandpa."

Yoh yawned loudly and stretched as much as he could in the cramped room. "I almost don't wanna go home. I'm totally beat."

An imaginary light bulb lit above Kagome's head. "Oh!" She exclaimed. "I've got an idea! How about you guys spend the night over here tonight?"

"I don't know… I'd have to make a few calls to home…" Manta said.

"Well I like the sound of that." Yoh stated.

"You're just too lazy to go back home, Yoh-kun," Kagome laughed.

"That's probably right," Manta added, laughing along with her.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

**  
**"Wow!" Momiji and Botan squealed in unison. "A sleepover! It sounds fun!" Kagome sweat dropped at her cousins' excitement and sudden change in character. She could not blame them though. It was cute how serious they were about their duties and training as priestesses, yet how young and immature they were at heart.

"I know," Souta, Kagome's seven-year-old little brother said. "Yoh-niisan is cool! I never met a shaman before! And did you see his ghost, Amidamaru?! He looks so strong!!" Kagome giggled at Souta's words. "And Manta-niisan is smart too! He promised to help me with my homework!"

"Wait a minute…" Kagome whispered. "I'm here, why didn't you just ask me?!"

"Heh heh," Souta laughed nervously. "Where are they anyway?" He asked to change the subject. He, Kagome, Momiji, and Botan were sitting in Kagome's room. Souta was sitting cross-legged on the cream-colored carpeted floor, Kagome was sitting in her rolling-chair in front of her study desk, and the twins conquered her twin-sized bed.

"Taking a bath and changing into night clothes," Kagome replied. "You know how mom is when we have company. She wants everyone washed up and changed before dinner."

"Aunt Kun-Loon has strange ways," Botan said nonchalantly.

Kagome's eye twitched and replied bluntly, "You're one to talk. **Your** mom does not allow anyone to eat breakfast until we run five laps around your shrine."

"I _still_ don't know why, either," Momiji said, leaning back against the wall lazily.

"Thanks to you Kagome, I don't have to worry about training to be a priest!" Souta cheered.

Before Kagome could throw a pillow at her younger brother, the door to her room opened and in stepped, Yoh, Manta, and Amidamaru. For a moment, the girls and Souta only gawked. Manta was wearing Souta's old pair of pajamas, which included a long sleeved green top and green bottoms striped with white lines. Yoh was wearing a pair of plain black jogging pants and was shirtless.

"Uh, we're done…" Manta told them nervously. Why did he not like the looks he and Yoh were receiving?

"Wow, Yoh-kun!" Kagome exclaimed. "I knew those pants were a bit too big for me, but I didn't think that they'd fit you so perfectly!" She stood up and walked toward her friends to get a better look, but was run over by her two cousins.

Momiji blushed while staring at Yoh with starry eyes, "Yoh-sama! Even though you're wearing that _Kagome-chan's_ clothing, you still look great as ever!"

Botan had scooped Manta in her arms and was rubbing her cheek against his. "You're so adorable, Manta-san! Your pathetically inadequate height never ceases to amaze me!"

"Uh," Yoh blushed, scratching the back of his head and smiling. "Thanks Momiji."

"Will you put me down?" Manta asked with an annoyed tone. "I'm not a kid ya know!" The priestess continued to swing Manta around, laughing merrily, in an odd state of bliss. "Botan! Let go of me!"

Botan suddenly dropped Manta onto the floor. "Hey!" He exclaimed. "What the hell is your pro-?!" He paused when he saw Botan and Momiji step back in unison. They joined their hands together and squealed in unison. They both had identical blushes and starry eyes.

"He called me by my first name!" the twins exclaimed excitedly.

Amidamaru decided to discreetly stand by Kagome so the twins would not start marveling over him. He watched quietly as Momiji and Botan began chatting with his partner and Manta about just about everything! He peered at Kagome from the corner of his eye. She was sitting on the floor, watching her friends and cousins interact with an unknown emotion on her face.

"Kagome-sama," Amidamaru said. He quickly snapped her out of her daze and she turned her head in his direction. "Is something bothering you?"

Kagome smiled and shook her head from side to side. "No, I'm fine… It's… nice… To see my cousins and friends get along so well." Amidamaru did not buy it, but he remained quiet, not wanting to press on and feeling the wrath of Kagome's fury.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Tonight's dinner turned out to be oden, Kagome's favorite. "So if you're two priestesses in training too," Manta began saying between bites. "That means that you live at a shrine too."

"That is correct, you **are** smart," Botan cooed at Manta from across the table.

"So why are you _here_, if you don't me asking," the short boy asked curiously.

Momiji replied with a smile, "that's easy. Unlike Kagome, we've been training for years. We were born twins, without any other siblings. So naturally, we're more experienced than Kagome. She started her training two years ago because Kaede-baasan did not think Kagome would need training…" She paused and her eyes darkened noticeably. "Until **it** happened."

Botan, who was sitting next to her twin, glared at Momiji and nudged her in the side. "Alright, that's _enough_. You can't just go and tell total strangers our family business!"

Momiji's face flushed and she mumbled, "total strangers, huh? Just a while ago, you were so gaga over _Manta-san_."

Yoh looked at Kagome from across the table, noticing that she was extremely quiet. "Kagome-chan…" he said, just loud enough for her to hear. She looked up from her lap and at Yoh. She blushed at the worry expression on his face. "Your mom said oden is your favorite, but you haven't eaten a bite… Are you okay?"

Kagome looked around the dining room from person to person until her gaze settled on Yoh again. She nodded wordlessly and stood up quickly, excusing herself. She placed her bowl, which was full of oden, into the refrigerator. "I'm not hungry," she mumbled, no one really heard her. She scurried out of the dining room like frightened mouse.

"Yoh-kun," Manta said. "Is it just me, or is Kagome-chan acting a bit strangely?"

"Yeah. Stranger than normal."

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

**  
**  
"I see!" Momiji and Botan said. "You were changing the living room into our sleepover room while everyone ate! You're pretty thoughtful, Kagome!" Kagome nodded and smiled at her handiwork. She knew her room would have been too small to hold all five of the teenagers and Souta so she decided to borrow the living room for the night.

The long couch would serve as a bed for two people, one laying on each side. One person could sleep on the loveseat. Kagome had created a few pallets with the sheets, blankets, and pillows from her and Souta's room. She also found some extra pillows and blankets and put them on the couch and loveseat. "I did a pretty good job," Kagome said, patting her self on the back.

"Yeah, you did great," Yoh and Manta praised Kagome in unison. Yoh patted her on the head, and she blushed, laughing from embarrassment.

"Well, anyway," Kagome said. "I'm tired from all the training and touring today." Yoh stretched and yawned his agreement.

"Nani?!" Momiji, Botan, and Souta asked outrageously. "Who actually **sleeps** at a sleepover?!"

****

Chapter 3: Higurashi Shrine and the Lonely Soul

(Part I)

****

(!ENDS!)

**

* * *

**

Authoress Notes: Err… Okay, so Kagome **didn't** get her primary spirit in this chapter after all… And Ren did not appear… Heh, heh. Turns out that I split the chapter in half cause there's so much going on! But I **promise** it'll happen in part two. The poll for Kagome's primary spirit is pretty much closed… The results are kinda obvious. But I'll still allow votes up until the next chapter. (shrugs) Who knows, maybe the results will change… Though I doubt it.

Results for Kagome's primary spirit (so far):

1) Kikyou - 2 (_Wow_… _Still no love_.)  
2) Midoriko - 11 (_Pretty good_)  
3) Sesshomaru - 26 (_He's pretty darn popular Oo_)  
4) Multi - 2 (_Yeah… not so popular --'_)

For the pairing poll, when people reviewed and said they wanted a harem and they also said who they wanted in it, I marked it down as a harem and one for whoever they said they wanted in the harem. I'm also including the results for the poll I posted. You can vote there too. Okay? Here are the results for the pairings (so far):

1) Hao/Kagome- 8 votes (_Kyah! . Okay_)  
2) Kagome/Male Harem- 17 (_Wtf? OO You guess like that I guess_)  
3) Yoh/Kagome- 13 votes (_I like this pair too_)  
4) Ren/Kagome- 7 votes (_Right behind Hao_)  
5) Faust/Kagome- 3 votes (_O_..._Okay_…)  
6) Sesshomaru/Kagome- 2 (_'Bout to talk about this one_)  
7) Horo Horo/Kagome- 1 (_Woah… Really people?_)

Alright, I have to address a few things about the pairings.

#1) It looks like the harem is winning. More than one person said they don't like harems because it makes the main character look sluttish and fickle. Well for one thing, just because it is a harem, does not mean the main character likes every single person in the harem back. It's kinda harsh, but it's true.

For example, I would say that the REAL Kagome in the actual Inuyasha anime and manga has a harem going on because Inuyasha, Kouga, Houjo-kun, and Akitoki Houjo, and much more has feelings for her. But she only has special feelings for Inuyasha. In the story, if the harem wins, she will not going around kissing every single guy in her harem… Depending on which individual who has the most votes, I will decide who Kagome's main interests will be.

For example, look at the results so far. If I stopped the poll here, Yoh would be Kagome's main love interest. Then she'd also have feelings for Hao. And she'd also have a strong (friend-like) relationship with Ren, but she would not be aware of his special feelings for her…

I understand, it's kinda bogus. But that's the way it'll go. I'm sorry if anyone becomes uninterested because they don't get to see the pairing they want. If you really like the story but not the pairing, then if you ask, I might make another special little story just for you. (smiles) Cause I'll write just about anything, and I like when people enjoy my writing.

#2) I was not expecting anyone to vote for Faust/Kagome, but I really don't mind that… However, the pairing that can not, and **will** not, happen is Sesshomaru/Kagome if he turns out to be her primary spirit… That **does** disturb me to think about it. I could rant a million reasons why I will not write in this pairing, but then again, I bet fans of this pairing can rant a million reasons why I should write this pairing. I'm sorry to be blunt but- No. It will not happen. Not in this story. Not if he's her primary spirit.

Alright, that's enough about pairings. I have another issue to address. You guys hurt my feelings. I received 5 **less** reviews for chapter 2 than I got for chapter 1. Sure, chapter 1 had 111 more words but… Jeez, guys. That was a putdown. So, I have a new goal to reach before I start writing again. I want at least 25 reviews for this chapter, so I should have at least 72 reviews before I start writing again. My writing spirit and inspiration feeds off of your reviews so help me here! This chapter was little longer than the other two, so don't let me down!! T-T

Anyway, I **do** hope everyone enjoyed reading this chapter. I would have had it up faster but I had to go back and delete a (ahem) romantic scene… Then I had to write more to make up for the missing scene. Ugh, like eleven pages!! --'

PS. If you ever went to

Beautiful Phantom's deviant site, you'd notice that couple of her arts had several scenes from this. That's how I got my ideas from.


	4. Higurashi Shrine and the Lonely Soul II

Authoress Notes: Yes, I realized that I have not updated in… let's see… Over two months! And I apologize! I really wanted to, but I just couldn't! At first I had a major writer's block! Then after Phan-chan helped me through that, I just couldn't find the time to write! I'm sorry. But with the little time I have now, I'll try to update.

Special Chapter Dedication to: All my faithful reviews! Thanks for not giving up on me!

Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King or Inuyasha and claim no rights to them but I DO own this fan fiction story.

_**A Look Into the Past…  
**_

_The forest was lively as the two children that ran around and frolicked through its greenery. Carefree birds chirped and sang their joyful songs as they watched from the top branches of trees. The familiar human children that ran around and played their games of imagination did not frighten the usually shy forest critters. The two of them came to the forest everyday, but they never ventured too far inside the forest. They made sure never to go beyond the clearing with a field of golden rods._

_One of them wore blue jean overalls, a plain white long sleeved turtleneck, and black gym shoes. While the other wore a cute pink dress, white leg warmers, and shiny black dress shoes. Although their attire was very different, their physical features were quite similar. One had messy jet-black* hair that fell just above their shoulders, bright blue-gray eyes, and nicely tanned skin. The other had long, straight black hair that was worn in a high ponytail and almost identical blue-gray eyes. It was obvious that they were siblings, seeing as the two looked alike and were even holding hands as the shorthaired* child led the longer haired one through the forest._

_"Monkey-chan, where are we going?" the long haired child ask her sibling. They had already run passed the field of golden rods. They were not forbidden from going pass the field, but they never did because they both agreed it was too scary. "I don't know where we are anymore!"_

_'Monkey-chan', as the girl had called her sibling, replied, "Just a bit further, Hime-chan. I wanna show you a really fun place to play!"_

_"What fun place?" 'Hime' inquired curiously. "And how do you know about it and not me?" Usually they played and stayed together always, so it was odd that one would know something that the other did not-_

_"Oh! Yesterday, 'member when Kaede-baasan came by and told Okaa-san that she would begin training you to become a priestess?"_

_"H-Hai… I remember."_

_"Well, while you were busy, I went off to play by myself. And I met this cute little bunny and we played for a while!" Monkey explained. "Then he took off for some reason and I followed him! That's where I found the fun place!"_

_"Are we playing True Love and War again?" Hime asked hopefully. It was her favorite game._

_"Yup!" Monkey nodded and replied enthusiastically. The stick in their hand was suddenly grasped tighter. "And of course, I'm the samurai, and you're my princess!"_

**Chapter 4: Higurashi Shrine And the Lonely Soul**

**(Part II)**

This was definitely not what Kagome had planned to do tonight. Originally, she planned to be sleeping by now. Then, she changed her plans to having a sleepover with Manta and Yoh! Now, her cousins were hosting a sleepover party while she was trying to sleep!

'I mean, who doesn't sleep at a sleepover?' she thought in a frustrated manner.

She pulled a blanket over her head and turned over so the light did not keep her awake. Not that it would help anyway. Momiji and Botan were running and jumping around the house hyperactively gathering unhealthy snacks and different kinds of movies and games.

Meanwhile, Yoh, Amidamaru, and Manta were interested in examining all of the family photographs on the wall in the living room. Yoh pointed at a picture of a younger version of Kagome and laughed aloud. She was standing in front of the Goshinboku, embracing a toddler Souta from behind, and there was another child with a big grin on their face, standing on top of the fence around the great tree. "Look at this one, Manta, it's so funny!" Yoh stated, plucking the framed photo from the wall and holding it down for his friend to see it.

"Mmm…" Manta narrowed his eyes skeptically for a moment before saying, "…kawaii…"

Amidamaru floated over from the photo he was looking at the take a look at the photograph as well. He stared hard at it with an indecisive pout on his lips… "If that is Kagome-sama…" he pointed at the girl in the dress. "And that is Souta…" The samurai pointed at the toddler that was being embraced by Kagome. "Then who is that?" he asked, pointing at the grinning child.

"I was wondering the same thing," Manta admitted as he looked from the picture, to Amidamaru, to Yoh. The shaman had a thoughtful look on his face before a light bulb lit above his head.

"Ahhh, I think I know!" Yoh told them. "-That I have no idea-" Amidamaru and Manta anime fell.

"Stop being an idiot!" Manta yelled. He then sighed and said, "I don't think we should ask her about it yet…" Amidamaru crossed his arms, and nodded in agreement.

"Hai… There seems to be a lot of dark secrets revolving around the Higurashi family," the spirit stated. "And they should only be brought up when Kagome-sama is ready." For once, Yoh nodded silently and placed the picture back on the wall. Within the blink of an eye, Botan had once again swept Manta in her arms while rubbing her cheek against his. Yoh had been attacked too, but by Momiji, who had wrapped her arms around his neck while giggling.

"It's time for the very first Higurashi/Oyamada/Asakura/Amidamaru sleepover party!" the twins announced happily. "Feel free to make yourselves at home!"

Souta, who had been ordered to bring in as many horror movies he could find, sweat dropped and mumbled, "…this is coming from the two that doesn't live here…" He carelessly dropped the armful of tapes on the floor and sighed as he plopped down on a pallet. "Yoh-niisan, you and Manta-niisan will have to sleep on the pallets!"

"Heh, heh, that's fine with me."

With a flick of the light switch, the living room was dark besides the blue light of the blank TV screen. Momiji snapped her fingers and shouted out orders, "Botan, you shake up the orange soda as fast as you can! Souta, you put on A Nightmare on Elm Street! Yoh-sama, you put up a disclaimer! Manta-san, stand there and be cute." Momiji then hopped on to the couch were Kagome was sleeping… "And I'll wake up Kagome!" The hyper twin bounced up and down on Kagome's back…

"Sakuma-san does not own A Nightmare on Elm Street," Yoh said blandly. He then turned to Manta and asked, "Who is Sakuma-san?"

"How the hell should I know?!" Manta asked back. His attention was then diverted to Momiji, who seemingly lost her mind…

"Ka-go-me-Ba-Ka!" Momiji sang each time she jumped on her older cousin's back.

"Momijjjiiiiiii!" Kagome growled before moaning in pain.

"Wait-! Don't do that Momiji!" Manta exclaimed. He ran up to in front of the couch but froze when he learn a loud, CRACK!

"AAhhhhhh!!!" Kagome screamed in a frustrated way as she sat up quickly, forcing Momiji to fall off the couch. The red haired girl landed on poor Manta…

"Whatthehelldoyouguysthinkyou'redoingandMomiji, whatmakesyouthinkit'sokayjumponmyback?!" Kagome yelled swiftly. Her rant blew everyone else away… Literally. Everyone stared at the fuming girl with wide eyes and messy hair.

…Silence…

"Uuuhhh… What?" Botan asked.

S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.

How Kagome was able to sleep through the Higurashi/Oyamada/Asakura/Amidamaru sleepover party was beyond amazing! From nine p.m. to three a.m. the party raged and kept the Higurashi shrine alive throughout the night. Kun-Loon, Kaede, and Grandpa must have been heavy sleepers too… There was glompage, blood curdling screams from horror scenes, cat fights, soda pop fights, and pillow fights every six seconds. Manta did not enjoy the loud noise and the fighting, Yoh was just happy to have snacks, but neither of them was too keen on leaving…

As for Amidamaru… He disappeared as soon as Kagome got back to sleep. Now it was four o' clock in the morning and Kagome was just waking up from her slumber. The raven-haired girl slowly sat up with a yawn and a quick rub of her eyes. She looked around the room, which was dimly lit by the light of the television. "Those guys…" she sighed as she stood up and walked towards the television. She pushed the largest button and turned it off. It was on the most annoying channel invented: The Static Channel.

Kagome's eye twitched when she stepped on a potato chip; it was crushed beneath her weight and its last words were an air splitting: CRUNCH! "Okay," she said to herself. "That's just gross…" Suddenly a bright light that rushed through the windows briefly lighted up the dark room. Seconds later, the light was followed by a deep rumbling sound. "Rain…" Kagome whispered. "It was raining then too…"

_**Another Look Into the Past…**_

_**  
**_  
_Just a little pass the field of goldenrods was another clearing, but this clearing brought an odd looking cave along with it. There were old, worn sutras plastered all over the surface area of the cave's opening. "See? Isn't it cool?!" Monkey asked, before running up to the cave and turning around to smile at Hime. "What do ya think?"_

"It's… not that big… and it's… weird…" Hime responded hesitantly.

"Don't mind the small, petty details," Monkey stated before winking.

"You just copied father…"

"Did not!" Monkey yelled back. "Anyway," there was a brief pause before Monkey turned around to the cave. "This can be the grave of me! The lonely samurai spirit!"

"Okay!" Hime agreed with a soft smile. "And I'm the princess who summons your spirit from the dead!" Monkey grinned and nodded, they were glad that Hime understood what their next adventure would be about.

"First, let's remove these old sutras!" Monkey told Hime. Hime's blue-gray eyes widened and she reached out to her sibling but it was too late. Monkey had already begun to peel the old paper away from the aging rock. Somehow, Monkey did not notice how each time a sutra was removed, it went up in flames and the sky became darker.

"Stop it! Monkey-chan, get down from there!" Hime yelled uncharacteristically. Tears were forming in her eyes. Monkey was oblivious to the things going on. Hime was the priestess (in training) after all. "I said stop NOW!!!"

"Woah!" Monkey yelled, startled, as they fell back. Hime's outburst surprised them, and Monkey ended up removing the very last sutra from the rock. They fell onto their back with a thud and Hime ran up to them worriedly.

"Are you okay?" she asked with a watery frown.

"Ow…" Monkey hissed, "but what was that for, Hime-chan?!" Before Hime could explain to Monkey what was about to happen, it was too late. A bolt of lightning struck down from the sky and hit the cave, blowing the two children a few feet away. They rolled and tumbled a few times until they came to a stop.

"Monkey-chan… Are you alright?" Hime asked for the second time.

"H-Hai, demo-"

Their conversation was interrupted by a deep, dark chuckle that immediately made them tremble with a newfound fear. The young pair of siblings slowly looked up at the cave and saw the most horrific creature they had seen in all of their nine years. A few yards away from them, stood a demon. It was seven feet tall, even with its hunched over form, and its skin looked more like a mixture between mud and clay. There was over a thousand eyeballs of different, shapes, and colors littered all over its body. A giant pair of plump red lips was at the center of its torso.

"Kami…" Hime whispered, breathless at just the sight of the creature.

The lips soon cracked a jagged toothed grin before a forked tongue licked them. "God?" The demon asked incredulously. "For you two…" The eyes of the right side of the body stared at Hime while the eyes of the left settled on Monkey. "There is no God."

Kagome shivered at the horrible memory. But why was she thinking about that now? Was it because of the house? Was it her family that reminded her of that time? She shook her head and gazed at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She ran cold water in her cupped hands and splashed her face. "No…" she whispered. "It's something else…" Kagome never told anyone of that day in the woods. She had been too afraid. And truthfully, up to the scene where the demon told them that there was no God… She had no more memories of that.

'But something must have triggered those memories… But what?' Kagome thought her heart missed a beat when a more recent memory came to her. She dropped her white ponytail holder onto the tile floor.  
_  
**I, Higurashi Ran, will record the story of the Great Dog Demon Sesshomaru and my younger sister Higurashi Rin to inform future generations of a tragedy in the family.** _

_**We were only children when we were orphaned with no other living relatives. I was thirteen years old and Rin was nine years old when a horde of demons raided our village and attacked our shrine. Our father was a priest and he fought the demons as much as he could. Our mother, however, married into the family, and had no powers to fight, was killed mercilessly… **_

_**Alone, and unwanted by the villagers that survived the attacks, we took off into the darkness the next night. We traveled long and far until we could not walk another step… We were weary, exhausted, starving, and heartbroken… "I am sorry little sister," I told Rin when both collapsed onto the forest floor. "I am your older sister, yet I can not take care of you. I can not go on from this point…" **_

**_Rin, who had lost voice from the horrific events of the demon raid, only shook her head, crying… Her silent tears broke my heart even more… I knew that she did not blame me for her starvation and evitable death. We lied next to each other, and I grabbed her hand and squeezed it.  
_  
****_"Let us meet again in the next life…" I told her. She nodded wordlessly and closed her eyes… And died…  
_  
**_**I did not die. But just lied there for days, next to the corpse of my younger sister. Just as I felt my last drop of energy leave my body, a sudden flash of warm, white light washed over Rin and me. I felt energized; I sat up and saw Rin opening her eyes. A beautiful demon with long silver and gold eyes had revived us with his sword, which is known as Tenseiga.**  
_  
_Kagome quietly read the scroll from start to finish… The story was interesting. At first, it turned out that this Sesshomaru guy had revived the Higurashi sisters just to test out the abilities of his sword. Both Ran and Rin became his servants, but the demon lord favored Rin for some reason… But one day, a group of demon bandits launched a surprise attack on Sesshomaru during Rin's eleventh birthday celebration. Just after Sesshomaru was giving Tenseiga to Rin as a gift, it was stolen from her, and she was slain… Sesshomaru soon killed all the bandits and recovered Tenseiga…_

_But for some reason, Rin's spirit departed from her body quickly. Although a funeral was held for her safe departure to the next world, Ran and Sesshomaru sensed that Rin's spirit was still wandering the world of the living. Sesshomaru took Tenseiga and set out to find Rin… But he never returned…_

'Hmmm…' Kagome thought to herself. 'That guy… Sesshomaru… I remember seeing him from somewhere… but where?'

'Golden eyes… and silver hair…' Kagome thought blankly. She knew that the words had some sort of significance, but she did not what they had to do with anything. Now she was dressed in her priestess outfit and sneaking pass her friends and family. She was having a hard time trying not to step on the sleeping forms on the floor. Somehow, everyone except Kagome ended up sleeping on the floor.

"Finally," Kagome sighed once she reached the front door. She turned and smiled at her friends and said, "I'll be back soon." With that said to nearly deaf ears, Kagome closed the front door that had an automatic lock. Unbeknownst to the priestess in training, there was one who did hear her…

_The two of them broke out the fastest sprint they ever did. Monkey was ahead of Hime by a foot, but it was those twelve inches that made a whole lot of difference… "There's no use running or hiding!" The demon yelled at them from several yards away. "I can smell your fear, I can hear your racing hearts!" Hime screamed when the demon's arms stretched out like rubber and grabbed hold of her legs. The ground slipped beneath her feet and within a blink of an eye, the demon held Hime upside-down n the air with its rubber-like arms. _

_"Release me, you foul creature!" Hime demanded indignantly. She blushed modestly and held down her skirt so that her underwear did not show. "I'm a priestess! So put me down, or you'll regret it!"  
_  
_It was rare for Hime to blow her top so Monkey anime fell, 'Now's not the time to be humble!' However, Monkey immediately regained their posture when the mouth on the demon's torso opened up. Hime was dangling high above the mouth, but when the demon released her, she would surely fall right into its mouth. "Drop my sister, you forty-eyed freak!" Monkey shouted angrily. Although the two of them were mouthing off at the demon, they were more afraid than angry.  
_  
_"I said…" Monkey whispered just loud enough for the demon to hear. The stick that Monkey planned to transform into a sword using imagination was now a "real weapon". …A real flimsy weapon. "Let her gggooooooo!" Monkey blindly charged at the demon with the stick in hand.  
_  
_"Monkey-chan! No, you can't!" Hime told her sibling. "Go on without me!"  
_  
_"I'm tired of people telling me that because I don't have the power or knowledge of my Hime-chan" Monkey admitted with hot tears blurry their blue-gray eyes. "People are always looking down on me because I'm don't have the power or knowledge like you!!!" The demon chuckled and turned to Monkey, planning to finish the nuisance with a simple slap. "But you know what I'll say?" Monkey asked.  
_  
_"No, we don't." The demon laughed. "Tell us what you say!" he taunted mockingly.  
_  
_"I say…" Monkey replied. Monkey held the stick above their head with both hands to make a downward slice motion. "Yes. I. CAN!" Instantly, there was a blinding bluish white light and it was followed by two painful screams. _

Kagome was now lost in her thoughts. The flood of memories that invaded her mind made her goes numb on the inside. She was aimlessly walking through the forests. She originally set out to find a good place to meditate, but now… 'But what does it all mean?' she asked herself. 'I was so useless that day…' It was only when a boom of thunder startled her into awareness that she noticed where she now stood. All around her was a bunch of brownish-gray crunchy weeds.

"The field of golden rods…" Kagome said. 'If I retrace my steps, maybe… I'll remember everything that happened on that day… And then… I'll be a step closer to solving the mystery.' She thought to herself as she trudged through the damp yet dead weeds. The ground was wet and muddy. Her sandals did not stop her socks and feet from becoming dirty and soaked. She casually kicked them off and removed her socks. Normally, doing something like that would make her wanna puke. The feel of squishy mud between her toes was odd, but oddly, she was able to ignore it.

What if she caught a cold? It would only be a reason for her to stay home from school. A feeling of recognition and melancholy washed over Kagome after she ducked under a low tree branch and came to another familiar clearing. It was the one with the damned cave of that grotesque demon. "This is…" Kagome said as she walked closer and closer to the cave. She ran her hand along the rough rock and sighed, "Where it all started." Kagome closed her eyes and waited for more memories to come to her. This place had a lonely air about it. Kagome slowly looked up at the dark, cloudy sky.

It was about to storm. 'Kagome-baka,' she berated herself before climbing into the cave and hugging her knees against her chest. 'Now I'll have to wait here until the rain comes and goes…' she thought glumly. The air was becoming a bit colder-

"Onna-ko…" a cold, serious voice addressed her from behind. "What business do you have here?" the voice inquired suspiciously.

Kagome blinked and turned around slowly. Heavy arm, a fluffy boa, small black boots, long silver hair, piercing gold eyes, a graceful haori and hakamas pair. There stood the most beautiful man that she had ever seen! She blinked again. He was probably the most beautiful anything she had ever seen! "Ano… Are you talking to me?"

The man lifted his arm and cracked his knuckles, revealing blue stripes along his forearm. "Do not play games… little girl." The man took a step toward her and made Kagome involuntarily jump back. Not liking to appear weak and defenseless, the girl stood up and took a step toward the man to show him she had no fear.

"My name is not girl, it's Kagome! Ka-go-me!" Kagome corrected the man and gave him a spelling lesson all at once. She huffed and crossed her arms. "And if you must know, I'm here to wait out the rain!"

"This cave belong to me, Sesshomaru," the man told her in an almost callous voice.

Kagome huffed again. 'What's with this guy?! He uses a single statement to tell me that I'm not wanted here!' Her eye twitched and she thought to herself, 'and just who does he think he is?! This Sesshomaru, is not the boss of me! Or even a Higurashi for that matter!'

"Since humans these days lack basic intelligence then I will tell you in simple words," Sesshomaru told Kagome before slowly walking towards her in graceful yet confident steps. "Leave this cave before I have you leaving in several pieces." He threatened. It was when Sesshomaru placed his hand on the hilt of his sword did Kagome notice how frightening this guy really was-

"Hey-" a light bulb lit up over Kagome's head and she slowly walked toward Sesshomaru. She successfully imitated his graceful walk of regality until she was only a foot away from him. For a moment, the man looked slightly taken aback at the girl's bravery… or foolishness. "Well, Sesshomaru-sama, let's see you back up those words!" Sesshomaru's eyes hardened and with a swift, fluid movement, he unsheathed his sword and sliced through the priestess.

"Hn." Was the only thing Sesshomaru said as he stared down at the small but brave girl. Although she seemed confident enough, as soon as he unsheathed his sword, she had flinched and raised her arms over her face… "It seems that you're the one who talks big but can not back it up."

Kagome lowered her arms, blinked, and thought about what just happened. 'He… cut through me, didn't he?' She sighed in relief then glared back up at Sesshomaru. "I knew it!" She roughly jabbed her finger into his chest. "You're just a ghost so you can't hurt me!" she said with a grin. She gasped when suddenly there was barely an inch between her and Sesshomaru.

"Who are you?" he asked. "And how can you touch me?"

"Well, since I know your name then I guess you should know mine," Kagome smiled a bit. "Higurashi Kagome!" she told him proudly. Why did it feel so good to know that Sesshomaru was curious about her?

A small flicker of recognition burned in his golden eyes yet Sesshomaru said nothing. Kagome's grin faltered into a frown that was almost a pout. "And what's with that look?!" she asked indignantly. Wordlessly, Sesshomaru lowered his arms into a normal position at his sides, then slowly turned around. Kagome was almost awed at how coolly the man turned, the small yet fluid twist of his body caused his long, silver hair to slowly trail behind the rest of his form. Only one word went though Kagome's mind, '…cool…'

"…Onna-ko," Sesshomaru said as walked away. "I will allow you to stay here until the rain passes. But if you disturb me, I will kill you." Kagome ignored the shiver than ran down her spine and still glared at Sesshomaru's back.

Once he disappeared into the darkness of the cave, Kagome sighed and dropped to her knees. 'That guy- He's got more bark than bite yet he's so haughty!' Suddenly Kagome's pulse sped up when she was attacked by another memory… It was the final piece to the incomplete puzzle of that fateful day from her past…

_"Hime-chan!" Monkey yelled when the monster and Hime were assaulted by a light that did not belong to Monkey. No. The culprit of the surprise attack was standing tall and proudly with a glowing sword in his hand… The man stood in front of Monkey and they both watched with morbid fascination as the light incinerated Hime and the monster. The screaming stopped when the light finally subsided. The monster immediately released his death drip on Hime and she fell to the ground… The monster fell too… dead._

Monkey was horrified and too petrified to move. The man turned around and looked down at Monkey. "Rin- I have found you."

_"Rin?" Monkey asked. "Who is that?! My name is not Rin! I'm not even a girl-" Monkey gasped pushed past the man to check on his sibling. "Hime-chan!" Monkey screamed once he got to his twin's side. She was lying motionlessly, face down, in the grass. Her clothes were blacked and charred, as were her skin… Monkey almost did not want to see his poor twin's face… her beautiful face._

_Monkey carefully flipped Hime over, causing her to wince and hiss in pain. Hime's once flawlessly white skin was like her once flawless dress, black, charred, tender… Hime let out a painful cough. "Hime-chan… Hold on!" Monkey yelled. "I'll get you some help, I promise!" Monkey got up to leave but Hime somehow managed to grab hold of his leg before he could go. "Hi… Hime?" Monkey asked, fighting back tears.  
_  
_The painful and lonely look in Hime's eyes… "Don't leave me… Don't leave me here all alone…" Hime told Monkey._ _countered. Hime closed her eyes and laughed and bitter and defeated laugh. One that scared the life of Monkey. It was a laugh that he never heard Hime laugh before…  
_  
_"Stay with me…" Hime pleaded desperately. She reached out towards her twin and smiled sadly. Monkey nodded and settled for lying next to his twin sister… He lied there until she fell asleep…_  
_"Well… Sesshisamurai," Monkey got up and quickly smiled a fake smile. "Thank you." He thought that would be the last time he ran into Sesshomaru… And it was._

"B-But! Kaede-baasan said it's dangerous to touch someone who is burned very badly!" Monkey

"I'll come back for you, Hime-chan…" Monkey whispered. "I promise." With that silent and unheard promise, Monkey bolted away from his defenseless twin. He ran through the away from the cave, ducked under branched, jumped over tree roots, until he ran into something else-

"Oomph!" Monkey fell on his butt. "What the- Who put a wall in the middle of the forest?!" That was when he saw them… Those tiny black boots… Monkey's eyes trailed up from the boots until he was looking into a pair of piercing gold eyes. "You're that man!"

"I am."

"You hurt my Hime-chan!"

"…I had no intention of saving that girl."

"Then what was the point of even doing that… thing you did?!"

"I thought you were someone else, but I was obviously mistaken."

"And what's your name…?"

"Sesshomaru."

Kagome was left frozen at that memory. 'Did that really happen? It couldn't have! Or else-' "Kagome-chan!" Was someone calling her? "Kagome-chan!"

Blink. Blink. Why was a pair of dark brown eyes looking right into hers? Blink. Blink. Blush- "Ahhhhhhhh!" Kagome pushed the person who was invading her personal space away. "Pervert!" Was the first thing she screamed.

"Ouch!" Yoh was thrown against the cave wall. He rubbed winced and rubbed his back. "Mou… Kagome-chan," he complained. "Don't call me that!" Kagome sweat dropped, her friend was more worried about being called a pervert than being thrown against a wall. "I was only checking on you."

Kagome's blush deepened and she turned away to hide it. "W-Well, I was just fine, ya know! You didn't have to…" Suddenly there was a cool hand on her forehead that brushed her bangs.

Yoh told her, "but your face is all red, you might have caught something." The dense teen then put his hand on his own forehead to compare their temperatures. "You are a little warm."

"I said I'm alright!" Kagome exclaimed, moving his hand. "The rain may have just given me a little cold. That's all." She blushed more and pouted a bit.

Yoh's eyes sparkled and he cooed, "Kagome-chama, so kawaii!" He teased with a grin.

"Leave the fandom to Momiji and Botan," Kagome said in a deadpanned voice. The two then shared a short lived laugh. 'Oh yeah-! I should tell Yoh-kun about Sesshomaru!' A wide grin spread across the raven haired girl's face.

"Uh… Kagome-chan… That smile is happy, yet at the same time, scary!" Yoh exclaimed, slowly backing away Kagome. He was even more disturbed when she continually stepped toward him as he backed away from her. "Uh… Kago…chan…" He sweated a bit, before finding that she had him backed against a cold, stony wall.

"…YYoohhhhh-kkkunnnn…" Kagome sang cheerfully in a whisper. With her standing at a pathetic 5'0" and Yoh being 5'3", she had to stand on her tippy-toes just to see eye-to-eye with him. "Guess what?"

"Um… Kun-Loon-san says let your darling children travel?" Yoh asked dumbly. Kagome caught the hidden meaning and punched him in the arm.

"You're way off," she blushed and back away. "I found him."

"Found who, exactly?"

"The man I've been looking for."

Yoh paled and began counting off reasons why Kagome did not need a man, "Kagome-chan! You're too young for that sort of thing! And- He's probably just using you because you're young and cute!" Kagome whacked Yoh on the head and blushed.

"What gives me the feeling that Manta-kun has all the brains?!" she asked haughtily.

"D-Demo…" Yoh said while rubbing his head. "That means you're not smart either, right?"

"Do you want me to tell you or not?!" Kagome huffed and asked impatiently.

"Tell me what?"

"Arrrgghh! BBBBBBBBAAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKKKKKKKKAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

(Mean while)

It was 5 am and it was that time for Manta; it was his bathroom time. The gnomish teenager groggily rubbed the sleep from his eyes and ventured slowly to the bathroom. It took 5 minutes to get there, 3 to do his business, and another 5 minutes to get back to the living room. He stood in the doorway for a moment. He slowly looked from left to right. There was something off about what he was seeing… Besides the huge mess they left in the room before going to sleep for the night.

…Something was missing… Something… Important.

'Hhmm…' There was Momiji sleeping on one end of the couch. Botan took up the loveseat. Souta had wormed his way off his futon in his sleep… Manta absently wondered if the twins switched sleeping spots… 'Iie.' He scolded himself, shaking his head of the insignificant thoughts.

…Something was definitely missing… Something… Important.

"Gah!" he shouted when he realized what was wrong with the picture. "Yoh-kun and Kagome-chan are MISSING!!!"

(Back at the cave)

The rain had not stopped yet. The thunder still cackled demonically at them. Lightning still flashed every few moments or so. The storm did not seem to get any better. Yoh and Kagome had finally stopped kidding around to just chat and wait and watch for the storm to disperse. "So, you came all the way out here just to meditate?" Yoh asked curiously after Kagome explained to him what she was doing out here in the first place.

Kagome nodded slowly and stared at her lap. "It does sound pretty dumb, but I had a lot of things on my mind… Well… It's like… When I woke up this morning, something was luring me back to this cave." She turned her head and looked Yoh in the eye. "Someone told me to come here."

Yoh scratched the back of his head and admitted, "I never experience anything like that, ha ha."

"I don't think it's funny, Yoh-kun." Kagome said solemnly. When Kagome's eyes darkened, that was when the young shaman noticed the dark aura that was coming from off the walls of the cave. "Someone wants to hurt me. Badly." she whispered.

"Nani?!" The earth began to violently shake and a throaty, evil laughter resounded through the cave. Yoh shook Kagome's shoulders and said, "now is not the time to zone out, Kagome-chan!" The raven haired teen only stared off into space. "Hey! This place is caving in!" Yoh told her. He groaned and lifted his friend into his arms bridal style… She was wwwayyy heavier than she looked.

"Oi! Kagome-chan?" Yoh shouted over the loud boom of thunder, the continuous pitter patter of heavy rain, and the crumbling of large rock. "Are you alright?" 'She's heavy,' he thought and sighed and set Kagome down a good twenty feet away from the cave. She was still had the emotionless look in her eyes. Suddenly the both of them were overshadowed by something big and tall standing behind them… It had extremely bad breath.

"She won't be for long, I have bone to pick with that girl!" a voice exclaimed. Did Yoh dare to turn around and see who it was? He did… Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Yoh daringly turned his head and looked over his shoulder. He only caught a glimpse of the monstrosity that towered above them before a giant, rough hand, that was as big as his own body, slapped him clear across the forest.

Kagome slowly looked up and stared blankly at the familiar monster that stood before her. The towering height, the thousand glaring eyes, and the scowling red lips. It was the demon from four years ago. 'The one Sesshomaru saved us from…' Kagome thought glumly. 'This cave… It's so gloomy… It feels like the cave is sucking away my energy. Was it all a trap?'

"We finally meet again… Little priestess," the demon said smiling. "It's been quite a while and your spiritual powers have grown immensely." The demon used the eyes on his hips to look at Yoh, who was struggling to get up. "It looks like I broke your mate's bones… He won't be moving for a while." A slobber covered tongue slipped through the lips and slowly ran over the smooth surfaces. "Which is good. We have you right where we want you. And I'll have a snack."

Kagome tried glaring at the beast but found herself too weak to do so. Something was definitely wrong here! "What did you do to me?" she asked in a dull tone. On the inside, she felt angry and worried but her body was too weak to act on those emotions…

"I'll explain everything to you since you'll be dead…" The demon stated cockily before flashing Kagome a toothy smile where she could see its thick, long fangs. "Hundreds of years ago, I, a swamp demon and a priestess eater met. We were both weak compared to other stronger demons that dwelled in the darkness of the swamp. Every demon's iron rule of survival of the fittest would have led to our starvation if we had not decided to work together…"

"Are you're the type of swamp demon that can eat souls instead of flesh?" Kagome asked.

"Indeed, you're pretty quick-witted for a human girl," the swamp demon complimented mockingly. Kagome would have scowled, if she felt like it. "The priestess eater would use its aura to lure priestesses to it and devour the priestess' fleshly body, then the priestess eater would spit up the soul and I would feast on that… However, priestesses became rarer to find so we began to devour young maidens instead. But one day, the spirit of a girl who you resemble greatly wandered through the swamp. Her soul was bright with innocence but it was worn so I decided to not to eat the pathetic girl. But she haunted the swamp for years, screaming the name of a powerful demon-. That twit annoyed me so I decided to eat her…"

_(A Long Time Ago)_

_"Sesshomaru-sama! Where are you?" Rin called as she wandered aimlessly through a cold, dark place. "Ran! Onee-san! Please answer me!" Rin sighed and pouted a bit, wondering where her lord and her sister could have gone off to. It seemed like ages since she had last seen them. How many hours had it been? Three or four, perhaps?_

_"Sesshomaru-sama! Onee-san!" Rin called out for the millionth time. "I hope we're not playing hide and seek! You two said yourselves that I'm getting too old for this game! So come out already!" Rin pouted until the point that she was scowling. Now she was mad!_

_"Shut up, you stupid little girl," a deep, dry voice commanded in a calm yet slightly annoyed voice. Rin blinked twice before she was able to see something large and grotesque climb out of a pool of muddy muck. The monster slowly came out of its hiding place in front of a cave and stood up straight._

_"Mister demon!" Rin cried. "Where can I find Sesshomaru-sama?" She asked the question with no fear or apprehension. Either she was very brave, or she was just too naïve._

_"I know nothing of this Sesshomaru-sama that you speak of," the swamp demon replied. "But I do know something about you…"_

_Rin tilted her head to the side a bit and asked curiously, "what is it?" She did not have any clue how a demon she just met knew something about her already!_

_"You've been wandering around the astral plane for quite some time…" The demon informed Rin, not that she knew what the astral plane was anyway. "You may think you're alive and just lost… But no, you're a lost soul and you're so annoying that I am going to devour you. And you'll cease to exist!"_

_Rin's eyes widened and she took a step backwards… All of it was too hard to believe! There was no proof of him being right! …But there was also no proof of him being wrong either. Either way… 'He's gonna EAT me???' Rin fell backwards onto her bottom. "Ran… Onee-san… Sesshomaru-sama… Sesshomaru-sama… Sesshomauru-SAMA!!!"_

(Present)

"So that Sesshomaru was the guy from the story of Ran and Rin Higurashi," Kagome whispered. The effects of the priestess eater's power was really getting to her! She was not even inside of it! 'It's true… I'm not as nearly as strong as-' The priestess in training would have shooken her head if she could- Now was not the time to be thinking about such things! "…Yoh…kun…" Kagome whispered. That he could hear her anyway. She had to do something!

"After I devoured the girl's soul, the demon known as Sesshomaru soon found me. Out of rage, he transformed into a great white dog beast and mauled me to near death… Luckily, physical attacks can not work on me, but I was shamed and defeated by that demon!" The swamp demon exclaimed. "And it's because of Higurashi Rin! I curse all Higurashi's! Especially you!"

'What the heck did I do???' Kagome thought panickedly as the swamp demon purposely walked toward her slowly. He was trying to intimidate her- And it was working!!! 'What should I do? What can I do?'

'I have to…' Kagome thought desperately when the thousand eyed beast raised one of his extremely long arms. Its huge hand was balled up into a fist. The beast would smash her like hammer would smash into a nail. 'If I fail now… I won't just die, my soul will be eaten! And I won't ever be able to see Yoh-kun or Manta-kun again…' Kagome closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on a barrier… 'Please God… I'm not asking for something great, but… Let me live…'

Kagome's world was silent and slow… The giant fist above her was coming down like a judge's gavel… "I want to live!!!" Kagome shouted, squeezing her eyes shut.

Then there was nothing…

Followed by a feeling of lightness, like she was flying-!

"Am I flying?" Kagome asked, peeking one eye open. She blinked confusedly when she found herself in the arms of her brown haired friend. "Yoh-kun-" she started, "I thought you were-"

"It's okay, help has arrived," Yoh grinned cheesily, flashing his pearly whites.

"Ah! I see," Kagome said as she gently sat onto the muddy ground. "It's you, Amidamaru-sama." 'When did that happen?' she asked herself as she watched Yoh stand up to face the monstrosity.

"You should thank us, you know," Momiji and Botan chorused in unison. Kagome just sweat dropped when the twins patted each other on the backs. "We're the ones who tracked you and Yoh-sama's energy levels and came here to save you."

Manta stated as he calmly walked into the scene, "in other words, they just ran after Amidamaru, who found you guys before anyone else." The midget smiled at Kagome and she smiled back weakly. His gaze then turned to the icky beast with a thousand eyeballs and all the hairs on his head immediately stood up. "What the hell is THAT??!"

Amidamaru answered using Yoh's voice, "it looks like an ancient swamp demon."

"Impossible!" The swamp demon cried, stomping its feet in a childlike way. The impact of his strength caused the entire clearing to shake. Yoh steadily held his ground as Kagome and Manta stumbled and lost their balance. Momiji and Botan looked at each other then briefly glanced at the demon disguised as a cave… They sighed and sat down.

"Don't be so immature," Yoh said haughtily with a smirk on his face. He then pulled out a wooden sword from his belt and held it by the hilt with both hands. "Now-"

"What is the meaning of this disturbance, do you all crave death?" a deep, cold voice suddenly said as a tall, well-built silhouette emerged from the darkness of the cave. First there was small, black boot, followed by another, and white hakamas-

"It's Sesshomaru!" Kagome gasped. She was surprised that Mister Big Shot even cared enough to come see what the commotion was about. By the look on his face, Kagome could tell that he was… Well, she had no clue how the hell he was feeling.

The beast ignored the presences of the humans to laugh and point at Sesshomaru. "Ha ha, you're all talk." Each eye closed as the swamp demon continued to laugh heartily. "As if a useless demon without a physical body could even lay a finger on me!"

Manta, Kagome, Botan, and Momiji visibly stiffened when Sesshomaru's stony gaze turned their way. But it was Kagome who almost peed in her hakamas when his eyes landed on her. "Onna-ko…" Sesshomaru addressed her. "Dig." He simply commanded. Kagome almost fell over-

"What good will that do?" Kagome screamed. But when she saw that the spirit was slowly walking her way, she sighed and then began to dig her nails into the moist soil. "This sucks."

Having enough of it all, the swamp demon roared, "do not act so cocky! Turning your back on me is foolish, Sesshomaru-_sama_!" He hissed 'sama' out with sarcastic distaste. "I will swallow your soul, just as I swallowed Higurashi Rin's years ago."

Botan and Momiji, having read the story of Higurashi Rin, winced then cried out," you bastard!" Sesshomaru seemed unaffected by the demon's cruel taunting as he continued to walk across the clearing to Kagome with a solemn expression. Kagome frowned and she continued to claw ferociously at the dirty, despite the uncomfortable compressed dirt clumps under her fingernails.

"Kick his ass, Yoh-sama," the twins, "in the names of the Higurashis!"

Yoh nodded, "I got it!"

Yoh then charged at the demon and whacked it with the wooden sword… The blow would have been devastating to a human, but to such a strong demon… Yoh's eyes widened, "my attack had no effect!" He easily jumped back to dodge a punch from the beast. Its fist collided with the ground and created a small crater. The demon chuckled and licked the lips in the middle of its belly.

"Your soul will taste delicious." The demon stated.

"This won't be easy," Amidamaru told Yoh from within his mind.

"Yeah, but it'll be interested," Yoh replied back with a smile. "So let's not give up."

"Of course not, Yoh-sama." The short conversation between spirit and shaman ended with that statement from Amidamaru. They charged at the swamp demon again.

Meanwhile, Manta watched Sesshomaru cautiously from the corner of his eye. The spirit was towering over Kagome as she dug and dug into the ground. Manta frowned at the determined and tired look on Kagome's face. 'I don't even see why she's listening to him-' Manta thought to himself. Sesshomaru suddenly turned his head to his eyes met Manta's. The short human quickly turned away, easily intimidated just by Sesshomaru's gaze. 'Okay, I can see why!'

The observative teen then noticed how both Momiji and Botan were sweating and panting lightly on their knees, like Kagome. "And why aren't you guys helping? You look tired, but you haven't done a thing!"

The twins gave Manta smile as weak and tired as the one Kagome had given him earlier. Botan replied slowly between pants, "we're as useless as Kagome right now… That cave over there is actually a priestess eater… It feeds on the spiritual power of priestesses… It has a special, alluring aura that calls priestesses to it… Much like bugs to light, or flies with honey… It usually takes a priestess being inside of it to drain her powers… But since we haven't tapped into all of our powers yet, just being near the cave drains our strength."

Momiji nodded to Manta to confirm the information. She then looked in Kagome's direction and wandered aloud, "it's amazing though… Someone as dim witted as Kagome… One who can't even create a barrier at the age of thirteen… She's been around the priestess eater much long than we have. But… Look at her, she's digging like she's not even affected by its presence. A moment ago, she looked as weak as we do. I guess, if she really puts her mind to it, Kagome can be strong."

Kagome winced when her nails dug into something cold and hard. "I think I found something!" she announced. Everyone except Yoh and the monster, who were still fighting, turned their attention to Kagome and Sesshomaru. A small ray of golden light was leaking from the underground. "It's pretty… I think I struck gold!" Kagome said aloud. She smiled up at Sesshomaru, but her face fell at the sight of his cold eyes and unpleased expression.

"Keep digging." The demon said.

"Ugh!" Kagome groaned. "You slave driver!" She then reached into the loosened dirt and gripped whatever it was beneath the soil. She yanked her arm up as hard as she could and she fell backwards when her arm popped out of the ground. "Oomph!" Kagome moaned in pain before looking at the thing she had dug up. It was a long, golden, crescent-shaped bow that was emitting a golden light as bright as the sun's rays. "Is this what you wanted?" she asked, raising the weapon up.

Sesshomaru gave her a curt nod. He looked around at the faces of everyone in the clearing, everyone except the swamp demon was looking at the bow in awe…

A dumb move on Yoh's part- The beast took the opportunity to punch Yoh square in the guy. The wind was knocked out of his body and he and Amidamaru were sent flying across the clearing… It was déjà vu for Yoh.

"Yoh-kun!!!" Kagome and Manta cried in unison. The blue-gray eyed girl turned the demon with a serious, determined look on her face, but the desperation in her eyes was easy to see.

"Sesshomaru- What comes next?" she asked hurriedly. She gave a side-glance at the swamp demon that was now coming their way. To the surprise of everyone, Kagome hastily got to her feet. "Tell me!"

Sesshomaru stared down at her for a moment then stated, "once and only once will I commit such a degrading act…"

"Get on with it, he's coming!" Kagome yelled back. Manta trembled tremendously as he stood in front of the twins in a protective sort of way.

"Join with me, human." Sesshomaru commanded sternly. "You are without strength, and I am without a body."

Kagome blinked before asking, "you want… to be my oversoul?"

"Just this once."

Manta asked nervously as the swamp demon continued their way; the demon was a mere ten feet away. "Could you guys hurry it up back there?"

Kagome replied with a frown, "shut up! This is the first time I've ever done something like this!"

"Just stay silent," Sesshomaru commanded. He placed his hand on Kagome's shoulder. Her eyes widened at the surge of power that suddenly pulsed through her body. Even the swamp demon was taken aback by the bright light was being emitted from the two beings… Sesshomaru's red aura flared up against Kagome's pink one. With a quick flash of blinding white light, the two auras disappeared…

When everything returned to normal, Manta lowered his arms from his face… Though he did not remember ever putting them up in the first place. He blinked his eyes a few times then looked at Kagome… Sesshomaru had disappeared. It was only Kagome left standing, with her eyes closed…

"A-Ah! The merging worked-" Manta began to cheer, but everyone froze again when Kagome's eyes flashed open and they were a gold color instead of blue-gray. Manta jumped behind the twins at the cold look in Kagome's eyes. "S-Something's not right about that! When Yoh merges with Amidamaru, his physical appearance never changes!!!"

Botan's eyes hardened as she replied through clenched teeth, "that's because Kagome and Sesshomaru did not merge. They did not become one as a shaman and an oversoul would…"

Manta, Momiji, and Botan watched in horrified curiosity as Kagome cracked her knuckles just by flexing her fingers. Manta said back, "b-but! Sesshomaru has disappeared! And her eyes are like his! He must be inside of her!"

Momiji nodded and continued the grim explanation, "exactly. The two of them did not merge. This is a case of demonic possession."

Manta's eyes widened at Momiji's last two words, 'oh crap- Who knows what'll happen next?'

Kagome then gave the swamp demon a stony glare as she aimed the bow at him. The demon was so in shock that he could not move. "Now… Die." She whispered.

**Chapter 4: Higurashi Shrine And the Lonely Soul**

**(Part II)**

**(!ENDS!)**

Quick Japanese Words to Know

Onnako/onna-ko- girl; young woman

Pairing Voting Results So Far…

Yoh/Kagome- 47  
Harem/Kagome- 39  
Ren/Kagome- 17  
Faust/Kagome- 4  
Sesshomaru/Kagome- 10  
Hao/Kagome- 22  
Horo Horo/Kagome- 3  
Anna/Hao- 1  
Lyserg/Kagome- 2

You guys can't be see it anymore, but some of these votes came from a poll I had posted in my profile over the summer… I'm counting those votes too! Now that the voting for Kagome's primary spirit is closed, I'll re-post the pairing poll in my profile soon, so you can go vote there too.

Kagome's Primary Spirit Voting FINAL RESULTS

Sesshomaru- 39  
Kikyou- 2  
Midoriko- 18  
Multi- 2

As you can see, **Sesshomaru wins**! I did not rig the voting either. Check for yourselves if you're suspicious! To Kikyou fans, don't worry, I have special plans for her! And for Midoriko fans, Kagome will meet her sooner or later in the story!

Authoress' Notes: I suck, right? I hate when people leave me with cliffies, but oh well- Here you guys goes- a nice cliffhanger if I do say so myself! J I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! . It took me FOREVER to complete this! I tried and tried to write a whole 20 page chapter and it took such a llooonngggg time! But… I don't worry, it's not only because of laziness and a writer's block, I was really distracted by other things like house work, school work, and my new hobby- Voice acting and singing! ^-^

But I haven't forgotten about my ficcies, as you can see! It just took a while to get back to them. This is a bit more than twenty pages worth of Shaman King goodness so someone please pat me on the head and say "Good job, Neko Neko-chan!" Or -chama! I love being called -chama! X3

And everyone, thank my lovely friends Beautiful Phantom and Bishonen'sFoxyMiko  
for keeping me going! God knows how much trouble they went through just to help me! TT-TT There are many other people too, but- Yeah, the list will go on and go on! So thanks to everyone! J

Anyways, this is my early Christmas present to you guys! I hope I'll be able to update Coming to the Light before Christmas too! If I take a break from my voice acting for a while, then I think I can do it! But my you tube buddies are gonna be ppppppiissssseedddd- And worried. (lol) If I don't update CttL before Christmas, then I'll say this now!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to All! Review me as a present in return! :D


	5. The GDD and the CW Part I

Authoress Notes: Okay, so I said to myself. Screw the side stories for now and update the actual stories! Since _Shaman King _is older than _Coming to the Light_, I'm updating this first. But _CttL_ fans, don't fret, I will get to update that as well.

Special Chapter Dedication to: All my faithful reviews! Thanks for not giving up on me!

Beautiful Phantom, my bff! Check her out, she writes awesome stories and has wonderful art!

Last but definitely not least, Bishonen'sFoxyMiko, my loyal and kind beta! You know her!

Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King or Inuyasha and claim no rights to them but I DO own this fan fiction story.

* * *

_**Previously on **__**Shaman King**__**…**_

"_Sesshomaru- What comes next?" she asked hurriedly. She gave a side-glance at the swamp demon that was now coming their way. To the surprise of everyone, Kagome hastily got to her feet. "Tell me!"_

_Sesshomaru stared down at her for a moment then stated, "Once and only once will I commit such a degrading act…"_

"_Get on with it, he's coming!" Kagome yelled back. Manta trembled tremendously as he stood in front of the twins in a protective sort of way._

"_Join with me, human." Sesshomaru commanded sternly. "You are without strength, and I am without a body."_

_Kagome blinked before asking, "you want… to be my oversoul?"_

"_Just this once."_

_Manta asked nervously as the swamp demon continued their way; the demon was a mere ten feet away. "Could you guys hurry it up back there?"_

_Kagome replied with a frown, "shut up! This is the first time I've ever done something like this!"_

"_Just stay silent," Sesshomaru commanded. He placed his hand on Kagome's shoulder. Her eyes widened at the surge of power that suddenly pulsed through her body. Even the swamp demon was taken aback by the bright light was being emitted from the two beings… Sesshomaru's red aura flared up against Kagome's pink one. With a quick flash of blinding white light, the two auras disappeared…_

_When everything returned to normal, Manta lowered his arms from his face… Though he did not remember ever putting them up in the first place. He blinked his eyes a few times then looked at Kagome… Sesshomaru had disappeared. It was only Kagome left standing, with her eyes closed…_

"_A-Ah! The merging worked-" Manta began to cheer, but everyone froze again when Kagome's eyes flashed open and they were a gold color instead of blue-gray. Manta jumped behind the twins at the cold look in Kagome's eyes. "S-Something's not right about that! When Yoh merges with Amidamaru, his physical appearance never changes!!!"_

_Botan's eyes hardened as she replied through clenched teeth, "that's because Kagome and Sesshomaru did not merge. They did not become one as a shaman and an oversoul would…"_

_Manta, Momiji, and Botan watched in horrified curiosity as Kagome cracked her knuckles just by flexing her fingers. Manta said back, "b-but! Sesshomaru has disappeared! And her eyes are like his! He must be inside of her!"_

_Momiji nodded and continued the grim explanation, "exactly. The two of them did not merge. This is a case of demonic possession."_

_Manta's eyes widened at Momiji's last two words, 'oh crap- Who knows what'll happen next?'_

_Kagome then gave the swamp demon a stony glare as she aimed the bow at him. The demon was so in shock that he could not move. "Now… Die." She whispered._

**Chapter 5: The Great Dog Demon and the Chinese Warrior**

**(Part I)**

The swamp demon was taken aback at the cold glare he received from the possessed priestess-in-training. The unfamiliar feeling of fear began to creep up on him. It was natural instinct to fear a demon that had greater demonic power than your own… And now that Sesshomaru had a body; despite that it was a puny human girl's body, the swamp demon could now sense just how great Sesshomaru's powers were. The pure aura that once surrounded the girl was now complete gone and was replaced with swirling, red demon energy.

"Now…" Kagome began, or rather, her body did. "What were you saying about swallowing the soul of Higurashi Rin?" She raised the golden, crescent shaped bow and took aim at the swamp demon, which was frozen in place.

The thousands of eyes on the demon's body were wide and the large mouth on its stomach was left agape. "W-Well… It was an accident. Totally an accident! Y-You know how it happens… You come upon a human and you might be a bit hungry and then the next thing you know, you end up taking a bite out of them-!" Kagome interrupted the swamp demon's nervous ramblings.

"Silence," she commanded, and the demon did so. Yoh and the others watched in awe as dark, red energy took the form of a string and an arrow in Kagome's hands. "Suddenly you are as frightened as a pup when I gain a body," she said almost mockingly, "but just a moment you ago, you were mocking me."

The swamp demon raised a dripping, mucky arm defensive and insisted on his innocence, "n-no! You've got it all wrong, Sesshomaru-sama! It was a mere joke. Just friendly competition between demons!!!"

Kagome looked like she would scoff at the "friendly competition" comment; but instead, she replied with, "I have wasted enough breath on you. Demons like you…" The power behind the demonic arrow invisibly intensified, "are **worthless**." That was all. Before the swamp demon could plead for his life some more, the arrow went flying through the arrow at an amazing speed.

Everyone shielded their eyes and squinted when the arrow hit its mark and caused a minor explosion. Even Sesshomaru had to squint, being in Kagome's body made his eyes less strong than the eyes of his real body. Once the light died and the smoke cleared, the only thing left of the swamp demon was a smoking hot stain of pungent muck.

Yoh and Manta did not know when it happened, but somewhere along the line, the twins came along and cuddled against them. Once the deed was done, Yoh and Manta began cheering for their friend; although it was Sesshomaru who had done all the work. Momiji and Botan released their new idols and looked at each other in unison. The twins silently wondered why Yoh and Manta would be happy about such a thing… But they decided to shrug it off until later.

The still possessed Kagome then said aloud, as if talking to someone who everyone else could not see. "Because you did me a favor, I will do this for you." Kagome raised the golden bow again, took aim, and blasted the priestess-eater-cave to smithereens. With the demon gone, Botan and Momiji immediately were able to scramble to their feet and boldly run within five yards of their possessed cousin.

"Foul demon!" Momiji said angrily. "How dare you take over the body of our cousin, a priestess no less?"

Botan then added, "We saw everything that transpired between you too! Kagome wanted to become one with you? That is a repulsive idea in itself. But what's worse is that you tricked her!"

"We command that you leave her body at once," the twins chorused in perfect unison while pointing accusing fingers at Kagome, or rather at Sesshomaru. Seeing the twins suddenly snap at the demonically possessed Kagome, Yoh and Manta decided it was time to intervene before things got even nastier. It was apparent that in her current state, Kagome could kill her own cousins; without even knowing that she did or controlling it.

Kagome turned around with one graceful turn and closed her eyes. "I have no intention of staying in this pathetic body. You may have your kin back." With that said, an orb of red light suddenly emerged from Kagome's chest and floated off into the sky. But no one paid attention to the orb because for a moment, Kagome just stood there, as if she was stuck.

Suddenly, her knees bent forward and Kagome began to fall. Yoh managed to catch her by wrapping his arms securely around her midsection.

"It seems like she's still unconscious," Manta stated. "Being demonically possessed must take a lot out of you."

Momiji and Botan nodded in unison, and then Botan explained, "A regular possession from a ghost wears out the body enough, but then, a demonic possession could have serious, fatal side effects, and it could even kill most humans."

"So Kagome possessing priestess powers is kind of a good thing, right?" Manta inquired as Yoh began to shift Kagome from his arms onto his back. "She should have a better chance of recuperating, right?"

The twins once again exchanged worried glances. Momiji decided to explain this time, "well… The answer is yes and no at the same time… You see…" Momiji tapped her chin and tried thinking of how she could explain it easily. "Demons and priestesses are polar opposites in nature. As opposed to the theory of opposites attract, the two can not coexist within the same body at the same time without damaging effects to the weaker of the two beings."

"Needless to say but…" Botan continued from where her twin sister left off. "It was pure luck that Kagome survived this entire ordeal." Hearing this information from the twins, Manta completely deflated. Not only did he frown and put on a worried expression, but the short teen looked to the ground…

Seeing his complete change in attitude, Botan and Momiji squealed in delight and cooed, "Aaaawwww, he is so cute! So sweet!" Their serious demeanors had completely vanished.

"Alright," Yoh said out of the blue. Everyone else had almost forgotten that he was there. "We're ready to go." He announced. He had finally gotten Kagome into a normal, comfortable position on his back. Not that it was comfortable for him; Kagome was much, much heavier than she looked.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

By the time the group of teens had stepped back into the Higurashi house, the sun had began to peak over the shrine. All of them were worn from the ordeal, and Kagome was still unconscious, with no signs of regaining consciousness soon. "We have quickly, but quietly made it up to Kagome and Souta's rooms… We can't have Kagome's mother or grandfather seeing us like this," Manta whispered.

"But we had the sleepover out in the living room," Momiji countered. "How do we explain that?"

"If it comes to that," Manta replied. "We'll just say that we don't remember how we got upstairs. It is believable since sleep walking is common in young people." Yoh smiled, despite the shooting pain in his back; Manta was so quick-witted it was amazing. The rest of them nodded in agreement. The muddy, pajama-clad teens then began to execute Manta's plan…

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

"Children, rise and shine!" Kun-Loon called chipperly into Souta's room, where she found Yoh and Manta sleeping, just as she had found Kagome and the twins sleeping in Kagome's room. "It is ten o' clock and time to get out of bed," she told them.

"Mm," Manta slowly sat up with a sleepy look on his face. They had slept a good three hours… But it did not feel like. The short boy slowly patted Yoh's shoulder to wake him up. "Ne… Yoh-kun…" Manta said without energy. "It's time to wake up."

Yoh got up, just as slowly as Manta did. He rubbed his eyes then yawned aloud while stretching and without covering his mouth. "Is it that time, already?" he asked. "But I'm still…" Without even finishing his sentence, Yoh fell over and was out like a light again. Manta soon followed.

Kun-Loon smiled and sweat dropped from the doorway. "Honestly… Kids are so odd these days… How can they just sleep the day away?" She chuckled to herself and closed the door behind her as she left, "I suppose I can let them sleep… for a little while longer…"

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

By two o' clock, everyone was clean and gathered around the table in the dining room for lunch; everyone, except for Kagome. She was still "sleeping" soundly in her room. Kun-Loon and Souta had just given up on trying to wake her up. When the normally hopelessly suspicious grandfather peered down at his motionless granddaughter, he diagnosed that she had either been cursed or demonically possessed. The other teens stiffened when the old man hit the nail on the head, but were thankful that Kun-Loon did not believe her father one bit because his past accusations of the sorts. Kaede came up with same deduction, but she was dismissed by a quick cover up from the twins.

As the hostess placed the food on the table, Kun-Loon sighed and said aloud, but still to herself, "really… I don't know what's up with that girl… She has a group of guests and she won't even wake up for them. I'm almost ashamed of her hospitality…"

Manta interjected with a smile, "it's not a problem, Higurashi-san. I assure you that Yoh-kun and I are thankful for your kindness and hospitality. We're really glad that we came. Truthfully, I just think Kagome-chan is worn out from how hospitable she was being towards us yesterday. We were up until six, so it's understandable about how much she's sleeping in today." With that lie said, Manta took the first bite of his sandwich.

"I see…" Kun-Loon smiled warmly and replied, "Well, I'm glad you all had fun." When she finished serving the table of seven, excluding herself, she sat down to enjoy some lunch too. "So, Momiji-chan, Botan-chan, how is your training coming along?"

"Great! Just great!" The twins replied with vigor. The big, cute smiles on the twins' faces made a sudden thought hit Manta like a ton of bricks… Why had they lied about what was wrong with Kagome in the first place? It was not like her family did not know of Kagome's priestess powers, the supernatural, and all those other things! The short boy cursed silently for creating an unnecessary problem. He glanced at Yoh from across the table.

The laidback boy was as carefree as usual, enjoying his lunch while chatting and joking with Amidamaru. 'Damn it!' Manta screamed in his head. 'Yoh-kun has a one-track mind so he'd never think as deeply as this! Aarrrggghhhh!' On the outside, Manta was scowling, scratching and ruining his hair in frustration, and growling- nearly seething. He was completely oblivious to the worried and nervous looks he got from everyone else at the table.

"How very odd," Kaede muttered while she watched Manta.

The old man of the house leaned over to the old woman and whispered, "I still say he's a gnome…"

"Aye, I agree." Kaede replied with a knowing, slow nod of her head.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

By three o' clock, there was a huge debate in the Higurashi household. It was over what to do with the still unconscious Kagome. "I don't know…" Kun-Loon said worriedly. "I don't want to burden you two with my daughter." Manta smiled fakely at that statement; both he and Yoh knew that she meant that she did not trust two boys to take her "sleeping" daughter home. "Also… This **is** her proper home. That house in the city is only to make her commuting to school easier." Another lie. Kagome obviously did not live in that house just to go to a school in the city.

Momiji then added, "Tomorrow is Monday, so Botan and I have school too. We live out in the city so we can walk with Yoh-kun and Manta-kun."

Botan nodded in agreement, "yeah, if Kagome stays here, then she'll have to miss school. There's no way that she'd wake up early enough to walk or catch the bus to the city. Her only way to get to school is walking since you don't have a car, Auntie. And that'll be impossible if she stays here."

"Yeah… But if Kagome wakes up before nightfall, then she'll be able to walk to the city herself." Kun-Loon stated persistently.

"But then we'd worried about her," Yoh finally spoke in the debate. "Nightfall or not. It's dangerous to walk such a long way by yourself, and Kagome-chan has a tendency to get lost for hours anyway." Manta grinned and nodded, silently praising his friend for making such a good point.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

In the end, Kagome ended up being carried on Yoh's back again and her oversized bag of possessions was being toted by Manta. "Maybe we really should have left her at the shrine," Manta joked.

"Yeah," Yoh added in on the fun. "Kagome-chan must weigh a ton. We're not even half way to the city and I'm ready to break!"

"Mm," a suddenly moan came from the said girl. "I…" she groaned. "I heard that."

"Ow!" Kagome gave Yoh a quick bonk on the head.

"Kagome," Botan said with a smile. "You're finally awake. You've been out of it for almost twelve whole hours!"

"Yeah… well…" Kagome said in a tired, raspy voice. "Where are we? And what happened?" She looked from left to right and took in her surroundings. She recognized that they were walking through a forest trail that led from the shrine grounds, back to the city. "And how can I be moving if I'm not walking?" The group of teens anime fell.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

After the trio of best friends had dropped off the Higurashi twins, their next stop was Kagome's house. By the time they reached Kagome's city home, the evening sky had bled into the afternoon sky and overtook it. Kagome smiled an appreciative yet tired smile at her friends and said, "Arigato, Yoh-kun, Manta-kun… You guys went through a lot of trouble just for me today."

Manta smiled and waved his hand lightly, "it's alright. We were glad to help, right, Yoh-kun?" The short boy looked up at the taller one, who in turn nodded in agreement.

"Un, it was no sweat." Yoh stated with a grin as he placed his arms behind his head in a laidback manner.

"Heh," Kagome laughed a bit. "But you passed up your house just to carry me all the way here. That was sweet of you." Manta blushed at her statement and just smiled more while Yoh replied,

"It was for you, Kagome-chan, so I don't mind." In return, Kagome blushed a bit and looked away to hide it. Manta noticed his female friend's reaction to Yoh's statement and blinked, trying to figure out what that hinted at.

"Well then," Kagome beamed once she recuperated from her embarrassed state. "I'll see you guys at school tomorrow!"

"Are you sure?" Manta asked before she could take a step inside her house. "I mean, the twins told us all about how drained you would be from being demonically possessed… You shouldn't push yourself."

"Oh!" Yoh said. "That's right. Manta's right, you should rest for a day or two." He grinned. "You're so lucky."

"You're just lazy." Kagome and Manta said in deadpanned voices.

"Anyway," Kagome said. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine… Promise." She winked cutely.

"Alright then," Manta replied. "Let's go, Yoh-kun." With that said, Kagome watched her friends walk away from her doorway. They walked together as far as her front gate before Yoh turned south and Manta went north.

Once they were out of sight, Kagome collapsed to her knees and sighed. They were right. She was far worse off than she had tried to let on. Sesshomaru's demon energy had drained her of all her priestess energy and even sucked a bit of her life energy. 'I can't blame him though,' she thought. 'It was what I wanted after all…' Even after death, the power of the great demon was simply amazing.

"Heh heh," Kagome laughed a bit to try to lift her spirits and summon the strength to get back to her feet. "A little too amazing for me…"

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

The next day at school Manta found that he was sitting alone before homeroom began. 'Where on earth could they be?' he wondered to himself before sighing and settling for laying his head down on his desk. Class would start in only fifteen minutes and neither of his best friends had shown up yet. This was common for the young Asakura because Yoh was casually late to class on a daily basis. But Kagome came to school as early as he did so they could have time to chat before school. In fact, Manta lived a mere block north of Kagome so he often waited at the corner for his friend so they could walk to school together.

But today, she did not show up when she usually do. At first Manta deducted that she was running a late because she slept in from her ordeal with Sesshomaru, but after waiting an extra ten minutes, he went on ahead. Now here he was, sitting alone at his desk with no one to talk to. His old associates stopped talking to him ever since he became friends with Yoh and Kagome, not necessarily because they were weird… But because he had his very own two best friends now.

"Good morning, Manta," one of his classmates, a cute and smart girl named Neko Sakuma greeted him as she passed him by to go to her desk. Manta sat his head up to greet her back properly.

"Good morning, Sakuma," he replied with a friendly, polite smile. In return, he received one as well. That was all. She had sat at her desk at the front of the classroom next to her best friend, a girl named Reika. "Weird…" Manta mumbled to himself. He could not help but notice how his life was changing thanks to his friends. As fast as his days became more exciting and fun-filled, his days became odder and mystery upon mystery began to pop up.

Manta was one of the top students in his class, so of course, he was bright and quick-witted. But the things going on around him left him in long, deep thought and he could not grasp any of it. First he thought back on the day before, Sunday, when the small transaction between him and his best friends occurred.

"_Heh," Kagome laughed a bit. "But you passed up your house just to carry me all the way here. That was sweet of you." Manta blushed at her statement and just smiled more while Yoh replied,_

"_It was for you, Kagome-chan, so I don't mind." In return, Kagome blushed a bit and looked away to hide it. Manta noticed his female friend's reaction to Yoh's statement and blinked, trying to figure out what that hinted at._

"_Well then," Kagome beamed once she recuperated…_

And what was with Sakuma calling him by his first name and going out of her way to say good morning to him? They had never really hung out or even talked before. It was all so…

"Boo!"

"Ack!" Manta fell backwards in his seat; he was small enough to do so. Everyone who had witnessed what had happened took a moment to share a laugh at the short teen's expense, which was basically everyone. Yoh had suddenly popped up into his face while he was completely zoned out. "Damn it!" Manta shouted while pointing a shaking finger at Yoh, "don't do things like that!"

"Now now," Yoh grinned, trying to pacify his fuming friend. "Don't be such a scaredy cat…"

Manta cooled down then looked at the clock, seeing that Yoh was here. Class would start in two minutes… Another oddity; Yoh was being on time for school. "Where can Kagome-chan be?" Manta wondered aloud. The question was directed at Yoh, yet at the same time, it was not.

"Perhaps she was more affected than she led us to believe." Yoh offered. Manta nodded in agreement. Although Yoh was laidback to the point of laziness and he almost never took things seriously, the young shaman could be wise and very open-minded at times.

"I just hope she's okay…"

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

When did Manta become such a worrywart? Sure, he had always been a "scaredy-cat" as some people put it… But when was he a worrywart? Later after school, Manta and Yoh skipped going to hang out to visit Kagome, who had not shown up for school at all that day. To not appear rude, Manta tried calling Kagome first on her cell phone… No dice. All he got was her annoying voice-mail that fooled him… again.

"Hello?"

Manta smiled and replied, "Hi Kagome-chan, it's me, Manta."

"Oh hi," Kagome said excitedly and as cheerfully as usual.

"Well, Yoh and I are-" Manta tried to explain what they were going to do but Kagome interrupted him.

"Wait, wait, wait. Before you say anything, I have to tell you-"

"What Kago-?"

"I have missed your call. This is Kagome, leave me a message." Kagome's voice finished.

Yoh stared at Manta with a curious look. "What's up, Manta?" The short boy was stuck in stunned mode… And so was his face. "What did she say?" Yoh asked. "Manta?" After a few moments his right eye twitched with annoyance. It was the exact same scenario with her cursed voicemail.

Manta brushed that aside and tried to call her house phone. It was the same end result. It was also the same voicemail. To make matters worse, when they had arrived at her house, they had found that she was not home. To make sure, Yoh and Manta invited themselves inside and they searched every square inch of her humble abode (1)... Kagome was no where in sight.

"Mou…" Yoh complained. "I'm hungry," he stated while placing a hand over his grumbling stomach.

"We'll get lunch later," Manta said, brushing off Yoh's hunger. "Amidamaru!" The samurai spirit appeared. The spirit was always there wherever Yoh went, but he never showed himself until they were not in public or until he was needed. The sandy blond gave him a request, "could you scan all the spots Kagome usually goes?"

"Sure, Manta," Amidamaru replied positively. "I can do that." The spirit looked at his partner for approval, and Yoh nodded his head approvingly. "I'll even search the areas she'd most likely get lost in."

"Report back in an hour." Amidamaru nodded and took to the air to get a good view of the area. Manta then turned to Yoh and asked, "Should we continue our search too?"

"…You know, Manta…" Yoh suddenly said in his soft, wise tone. "Kagome is a strong girl, so I think she's fine… If she left her house that means she's most likely feeling better and just taking care of some business. You shouldn't worry so much."

Manta blushed at this. It never occurred to him that Kagome had left her house at her own whim. Usually he thought of all the possibilities before he took action. Manta nodded and ignored the feeling in his chest. It was another one of those oddities. He felt a bit better with this new possibility in his mind… But still… He could not help but wonder, 'where could she be?'

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Amidamaru had been skimming the city for the presumed missing Kagome. He had a bird's eye view of the areas he flew over, so he found the girl in almost no time. "Kagome-sama!" He yelled from above to get her attention. The said girl looked up into the sky with a puzzled expression, probably wondering why she heard someone call her name from above. He was still a bit too high for her to see him, so it confused her even more.

Kagome rose from her seat on the park bench and cupped her hands together faithfully then inquired the distant voice from above, "is that you, Kami-sama?"

"Eh?" That was enough to throw the spirit off and caused him to anime fall to the ground.

Kagome immediately flushed from embarrassment and waved her hands wildly, "Ah-! Amidamaru-sama! Eh, don't think any of what I just said; of course I knew it was you! How could I not recognize your voice, silly?" She laughed nervously after she finished her embarrassing cover up.

"Of course you did." Amidamaru half-heartedly agreed with a similar chuckle to Kagome's. He got up and Kagome asked,

"So what are you doing here anyway? I don't see Yoh-kun around."

"Yoh-dono and Manta are the reason why I'm here," Amidamaru informed her. "I was sent to find you because they were worried about your wellbeing."

Kagome took her seat on the bench and patted a spot next to her, and so Amidamaru did take her silent offer. "Heh heh, I see." She replied. "Well, as you can see, I'm perfectly fine." She smiled a bit.

"From what I know, they were worried that you did not come to school and when they went to visit you, you were not at home either," Amidamaru responded.

"Mm, I can understand that." Kagome stated more to herself than to the spirit beside. She suddenly sighed and looked to the sky.

"Care you to speak your mind, Kagome-sama?"

"Well… Where should I start?" Kagome asked herself again. "I just… I just can't stop thinking about that spirit, Sesshomaru." She confessed. "I think I know how Yoh felt when he was determined to make you his guardian spirit. Somehow, I want to get to know him so we can become friends. It feels like him and me, as partners, like we're meant to be." The priestess-in-training kept her eyes glued to the sky above, either too embarrassed to look at Amidamaru during her confession or too deep into her confession to do anything else. "I was so excited when he said he would join with me… But… It was not quite what I expected."

"That is because he possessed you, you two did not become one," Amidamaru added in.

"Yeah…" She whispered. "I think we could be good partners if we were on the same wave link… So… I've been thinking about going back there… to meet him again."

Amidamaru closed his eyes and crossed his arms as he went into deep thought as well. "Hm… I can not bring myself to tell you not to, Kagome-sama, for you remind me of Yoh-dono right now. If he had not been so persistent then I wouldn't feel the happiness I do now. I would still be a lonely soul bound to this world by regret." He stopped speaking for a moment then continued, "However, because you're a priestess you have a strong bond to the spirit realm, so you perceive the feelings and actions of spirits much more than an ordinary human… So you must be careful."

"In other words," Kagome said. "Be careful because Sesshomaru and I are as tangible to each other as I am to the living."

"Indeed. You are very wise, Kagome-sama," Amidamaru compliment softly.

"More knowledgeable than wise… But thank you." Kagome replied.

Amidamaru nodded solemnly before standing up. "I must be going now; it is about time that I back to Yoh-dono."

Kagome smiled and said, "I understand. But before you go, promise me that you won't tell Manta-kun or Yoh-kun of what I told you just now."

"I think that's asking a lot, Kagome-sama," Amidamaru said with a smile.

"I trust that you can do it." Kagome smiled back. She waved and sent the spirit on his way, watching him fly off into the distance. "Arigato… gozaimasu."

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

The next school day came and went. Today Kagome had come to school and all seemed normal, as normal as things could be with the three of them. During their lunch period, Neko left her seat followed by her best friend Phan to approach the trio. Manta stopped tutoring Kagome in math and even Yoh stopped eating to look up at them and say, "Yo! What's up, Neko? Phan?"

"A-Ah… Um…" Neko stuttered while pushing her pointer fingers together timidly. Her cheeks flushed red and she looked to the side for a moment to gather her thoughts.

"What's going on, Sakuma-san?" Manta inquired. "Yeah, is there a problem?" Kagome also asked curiously.

Phan playfully punched Neko in the shoulder and stated, "Just say it, Neko-chan."

"Oh!" Neko gasped as she was snapped from her thoughts. "Right… Um… K-Kagome-san…" She began shakily before her brown eyes connected with Kagome's blue-gray ones. "Well that is… I've heard some disturbing rumors about your absence. The entire class is worried about you and… um…"

Yoh looked up at Neko and again and grinned, "it looks like today Neko is acting like the class rep." He kidded, just to ease her tensions.

Neko pouted and replied, "I'm not acting like the class rep, I really am the class rep.!"

Kagome, Phan, and Manta laughed at them both and Kagome then returned to the subject at hand. "I don't know about any rumors since I've only been absent once and that's because I was sick. But I assure you that I'll try to come to school everyday from now on."

"Oh…" Neko simply said. "Okay then. I wish you good health." Kagome smiled and nodded. "Good day to you all," the class representative said politely before she and Phan returned to their seats. Along the way, Neko sighed and hung her head low while Phan twisted her ear and lectured her on being more straightforward. "It's fine…" Neko said before looking her shoulder at the trio again, "Really it is."

"Well that was a bit weird," Manta stated as he turned back to his two best friends. He blanched at the look on Kagome's face. She was giving him a sharp, accusing look, like he had done something wrong. "What?" he asked, holding back the nervousness in his voice.

"Manta-kun…" Kagome sighed as she dragged out his name as if she was disappointed in him. "How can you be so smart yet so dense at the same time?" she asked. Yoh looked between his two friends while continuing to munch on his lunch; he had no clue what was going on so he just stayed quiet… for now.

'Yeah, you're a fine one to talk,' Manta retorted in his mind but not aloud. "What are you talking about, Kagome-chan?" Kagome then banged her head against her desk then growled.

She suddenly stood up; her knees pushed her chair backward. She slammed her hands on her desk and yelled, "I'm talking about a certain girl's feelings for you!!!" Everyone in the classroom turned and stared at her in shock. "E-Eh!" Kagome blushed and waved her hands back and forth, "Gomen ne, miina. Nothing to see here…" They then turned their attention back to whatever it was previously on.

Both Manta and Yoh blinked in confusion when Kagome sat back in her seat. "What girl are you talking about?" they asked in perfect unison.

Kagome blushed and glared at them before whispering harshly, "do I have to spell it out for you? Don't make me say it out loud like this." That was when something clicked inside the two boys' heads. Yoh scratched his head and laughed awkwardly at the thought while Manta only blushed and lowered his head to avoid Kagome's gaze. Kagome frowned, obviously unpleased by their reactions especially Manta's…

"Even if the situation makes you feel uncomfortable," Kagome stated boldly while drawing closer to Manta's face, which even made Yoh go red. "You can't just ignore it!"

Manta then quickly and quietly closed his math textbook and stood up from his seat. "Excuse me." He said as politely as possible before dragging Yoh out of the classroom. Kagome only blinked at their reactions and then frowned again, realizing he just avoided the subject.

Meanwhile Manta and Yoh panted heavily outside in the nearly empty hallways. As soon as they set foot outside the door, they had high-tailed it and ran as far as they could go before they were out of breath. "Wha… What was the deal with that, Manta?" Yoh asked between breaths.

"I don't know…" Manta replied. Both he and Yoh were hunched over with their hands on their knees, trying to catch their breaths. "I just panicked and suddenly we were running."

"Well anyway," Yoh stated seriously. "Kagome-chan is right… You can't avoid the situation. I don't think that would be right or fair to her…"

Manta looked up at Yoh and asked, "but how can I face her now that I know?! I mean, she's my… our best friend! How would you feel if you found out Kagome-chan liked you?"

Yoh scratched his cheek, a habit he picked up from Kagome, and replied, "Well… I dunno… But I guess you're lucky."

"What do you mean by that?" Manta queried curiously.

"Well, Kagome-chan is a really nice girl," Yoh concluded with a big smile. Manta almost fell over at Yoh's response. The short boy shook his head and said nothing. His thoughts were not more focused on Kagome than they had ever been…

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Kagome sighed and looked at up at the starry sky above her. 'Maybe I shouldn't have pushed the subject about Sakuma-chan onto Manta-kun like that…' she thought to herself. She had noticed how awkward and uncomfortable he had gotten around her ever since he and Yoh fled from their homeroom during lunch. It had gotten so bad that he avoided talking to or looking at her all day and so she decided to skip out on hanging out with the two of them for another day.

"_I want you to at least think about it, Manta-kun. Okay?" _That was the last thing she had said to him before parting ways that afternoon. 'Maybe that wasn't such a good idea?' she continued to question herself. 'I wonder if Yoh-kun and Manta-kun are watching the same stars I am right now…' She absently swung her legs back and forth slowly, causing her hair to swish like so as the swing did. She was watching the stars at an empty playground across the street from her house.

Kagome sighed again before smiling at the sky, trying to cheer herself up. "Well… At least the stars are pretty." What she did not expect was a young, unfamiliar voice to suddenly agree with her.

"Yes they are, but these stars are nothing compared to what they could be." A boy replied as he suddenly appeared from the moon's shadow. Kagome gasped softly when the moonlight suddenly revealed a boy who was staring at the sky with a grim expression on his face to her. His skin was nicely tanned but not overly so, his purple hair was worn tongari style, and his eyes were beautiful and yet piercingly sharp. He turned to look at her and time just seemed to stand still at that moment…

"…Y-Yeah…" Kagome slowly agreed. "I know. I heard that the stars are much brighter out in the countryside. The light pollution of the city hides the stars from us city goers." The boy said nothing for a moment and Kagome took the moment to study him… His aura was similar to Yoh's yet it was different somehow. Kagome could not just place her finger on it.

"Not only that," boy suddenly said with a suddenly deep anger in his voice. "The stars are much brighter in the country because they are happier there. The corruption of humans and cities do not touch those lands!!!"

Kagome was taken aback by his outburst and she replied carefully, "I don't think humans are all that bad…"

The boy then glared at her, he was probably unaware of the nasty look on his face, or perhaps he did not care. "I half agree. Not all humans are evil, but most of them are! There are very few innocents out there, especially in the city."

That was when Kagome suddenly asked a question that was so out of the blue that it surprised even her. "Are you a shaman?" she asked. She then placed her hand over her mouth. She instinctively closed her eyes to avoid the boy's gaze. Silence… Her only response was silence… Kagome peeked one eye open and then blinked in confusion. He was gone. She looked left and right and did not spot him.

"Huh? Where'd he go?" she asked herself out loud. "Was I… dreaming?" she queried. The young girl then stretched and decided to go to bed before it got so late that she would not wake up for school the next day. The young priestess was completely unaware of the same pair of sharp gold eyes watching her from afar…

(The Next Day – After School)

Kagome sighed for the umpteenth time that day and unconsciously frowned. "That Manta…" she said irritably. "Avoiding me is definitely not the answer to this!" She crossed her arms and then looked over at Yoh, who was relaxing against the tree atop of highest hill in Crow Cemetery. "What do you think, Yoh-kun?" she asked. The said boy still laid there, arms crossed behind his head in leisure. "Yoh-kun?" His eyes were still closed and he did not stir. "Are you sleeping?" she asked.

"You're not helping…" she whispered to nearly deaf ears. Today Manta had missed their hanging out to do some extra studying for final exams… Even though final exams would not be for another three weeks. Kagome could not help but feel a bit unsettled and irritable on the inside; she had so many things on her mind. First still wanted to pursue Sesshomaru, then she needed to confront Manta about his feelings, lastly the dream about the boy with the gold eyes and tongari hairstyle plagued her mind…

(That Evening…)

He had been thinking. All Manta could do was think because he was too unsure of himself to take action. 'Kagome-chan likes me… more than a friend…' he thought to himself for the millionth time. Here he was, walking down the crowded streets of Tokyo all alone with no friends except a large text book tucked under his arm. There so many things that bothered him about that… For one thing, there was Yoh.

_Manta looked up at Yoh and asked, "but how can I face her now that I know?! I mean, she's my… our best friend! How would you feel if you found out Kagome-chan liked you?"_

_Yoh scratched his cheek, a habit he picked up from Kagome, and replied, "Well… I dunno… But I guess you're lucky."_

"_What do you mean by that?" Manta queried curiously._

"_Well, Kagome-chan is a really nice girl," Yoh concluded with a big smile._

Up until now, all his old associates teased him about Kagome and Yoh. He never told either about it. Manta figured it was no big deal. It was not like they were teasing him because his best friends were weird or anything, but because they thought the three of them would end up in a love triangle. He never thought much about it… But now… Well, he had always thought that if they ended up in a love triangle it would be that Kagome and Yoh would like each other and he would like Kago-

Manta shook the thoughts from his head. He had to concentrate on his studies or else he would not be able to concentrate during prep school, which he was on his way to. Just as Manta was able to cross the street, he was suddenly stopped dead in his tracks by a sudden feeling of dread. Time seemed to stand still for a few moments. Manta watched awed and shocked at the sight of a boy stepping out into the street against a red light. With one fluid yet powerful movement the boy cut a speeding truck in half with a spear-like weapon. The two halves of the large vehicle fell on their sides and were sent crashing into everything in their way, even a few unfortunate people.

'W-What…?' Manta thought shakily with widened eyes. He looked around and found no sign of the boy. 'Where did he go?'

"Looking for me?" a sinister voice came from behind him. Manta spun around and his eyes met with the piercing eyes of the boy.

"W-What… What are you?" Manta could not help but ask.

The boy who wore a yellow uniform of some kind with a black tie and short shorts. "Deliver a message to your friend Asakura Yoh for me." The boy commanded without answering Manta's questions. "Tell him that there is room for only one shaman in Tokyo."

"Wha-?" Manta blinked, and the boy was gone. "Who was he…?" That was it. Manta was going to skip prep school for today; he had to warn Yoh. 'And if he knows that I'm Yoh-kun's friend, then he must know about Kagome-chan…' Dare he do it? He did. Manta pulled the light pink cell phone from his pocket and dialed Yoh on speed dial.

(Mean while)

"_Deau nakama sono egao wa yasuragi kureru kara mimamotte itai shinjite itai_

_donna toki mo hanarebanare demo kokoro wa itsumo tomo ni aru no sa"_

"Oh!" Yoh suddenly popped up. "That's Manta's ring tone." Kagome anime fell and forced herself to not ask how he woke up for a phone call and not for her. Yoh hit the answer button and placed the receiving end to his ear. "Moshi moshi?"

"Yoh-kun! It's me, Manta!" Manta replied.

"What's up, Manta?" Yoh asked coolly. "I thought you had prep school right about now."

"I do, but I'm skipping prep school today. It's an emergency." Manta said urgently.

Kagome blinked at how Yoh's expression suddenly went from laidback to serious. He asked, "what happened, Manta? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Manta said in response to the second question. "But I'm afraid for you, Yoh-kun! It seems that there's someone just like you here in Tokyo and he has it out for you."

"Someone like me?" Yoh asked densely. "You mean like a twin?" he inquired.

Manta suddenly yelled into in the phone, "NO! Like another shaman!!!"

Even Kagome had heard that statement. She quickly grabbed the phone from the somehow still confused Yoh and stated, "Manta-kun, you have to meet us somewhere."

From the other end of the line Manta's heart suddenly pounded at the sound of Kagome's voice. "O-Okay… We'll meet each other half way at WacDonalds…" Manta then shook his head. "No scratch that. We have to meet somewhere secluded. I'll just meet you guys at the cemetery."

"Are you sure?" Kagome asked worriedly. "Will you be okay?"

"Yeah," Manta replied with uncertainty equivalent to Kagome's. "You two just stay put until I get there, okay?"

"Sure." Kagome replied. With that said, the two hung up and Manta was on his way.

"So how's my twin doing?" Yoh asked curiously. This earned him a bonk on the head from Kagome.

"Now's not the time for jokes, Yoh-kun!" Kagome yelled.

Yoh moaned and rubbed his head, "But I wasn't…"

That was when Amidamaru appeared before them and stated seriously, "Kagome-sama is right, Yoh-dono. Surely you must sense the great dark aura approaching too."

"Of course I do," Yoh said before smiling reassuringly. "My twin is just downstairs at the bottom of the cemetery."

Kagome gasped and when something dawned upon her, "along with a few others! I think I sense Ryu of the Wooden Sword down there too! And their auras are flaring!"

Yoh then slowly stood up and dusted off his green jeans. He turned to his guardian spirit and stated calmly, "well then. Let's go, Amidamaru." The samurai spirit nodded in agreement.

"I'm coming too!" Kagome piped in with her hands balled into fists of determination. She quickly got to her feet too and was ready to tag along with her best friend.

But in response, Yoh shook his head negatively, "actually, I'd like it if you stayed here where it's safe, Kagome-chan." His solemn expression did waver even when Kagome was suddenly in his face with a displeased look.

"No way I'm staying here while you run off to play shaman hero!" Kagome protested. Yoh had expected that she would say that and he only chuckled a bit. "Don't laugh! I'm totally serious about this!"

Yoh then met her eyes and smiled and said, "So am I." Kagome gasped and blushed, she quickly looked away to hide it. The blush went unnoticed by Yoh and he took her looking away as a sign of giving up.

(Meanwhile – At the Cemetery Entrance)

"Damn…" Ryu cursed when he fell backwards on bottom. "What's with this kid?" he asked himself aloud. All of his followers had been single-handedly defeated by the demented boy in front of his head. He and his gang planned to teach the brat a lesson for stepping foot on his territory, but they ended up defeated. Ryu flinched then paled when the boy pointed the blade end of his kwan-dao into his face. It was gleaming with a silvery taste of blood-shed.

"Tell me where Asakura Yoh is hiding and I might spare your life," the fighter said.

"You are a formidable opponent…" Ryu said coolly, trying to look strong and mature and keep his pride. "As you know, I am Ryu of the Wooden Sword. What is your name, stranger?"

"I'll only repeat myself once more," the boy stated irritably. "Where is Asakura Yoh?!" The boy threatened Ryu by slicing more of his ridiculous hair off. Ryu gasped and paled even more when his hair fell to the ground. It was enough that Yoh had taken some off the top, but now- "If you won't tell me then you can just die." With that said, the boy drew back his weapon then jabbed it straight at Ryu's face. Ryu instinctively shut his eyes and waited for the end… The end that never came.

"Asakura Yoh…" the boy said in a low tone as he looked over his shoulder at the person who stopped him from ending Ryu's life by grabbing hold of his kwan-dao. "So you finally decided to show your face."

Yoh smiled and replied, "Maybe I should have come earlier. You seem a bit impatient."

"Enough small talk," the boy said as he turned around to face Yoh. "I presume you know what I came here for…"

"How about you start with your name?" Yoh asked calmly, not taking the situation seriously at all, despite the aura of war and death radiating off the other shaman.

"I am Tao Ren," the boy now known as Ren replied bluntly with no further introductions. Ren looked past Yoh to Amidamaru and smirked. "I see you at least have a good tool."

Yoh narrowed his eyes and replied, "If you're referring to Amidamaru, then I suggest you rephrase that. He is my friend, not a tool."

Ren then laughed heartily at Yoh's quite serious statement. "Ha ha ha, your friend?" Ren asked after he finished laughing. "Did you hear that, Bason?" On cue, Ren's guardian spirit made his presence known. Even Amidamaru was taken aback by the sheer size and power of the armored warrior.

Yoh did not take his eyes off of Ren now, not even when he asked Ryu to take a few steps back. Ryu complied by rushing off to hide in some nearby bushes.

"What the-?" Ryu asked once he was inside the bushes. "What are you going here, girly?" he inquired the blue-gray eyed girl who had already taken refuge in the bushes.

"Ssh!" the school girl replied while putting her pointer against her lips. "Don't tell Yoh-kun." Ryu nodded and before he could say anything else, she continued, "and by the way, it's Higurashi Kagome, okay?"

Ryu could nothing but ask what anyone in his situation would ask, "Those two aren't normal are they? And what are those guys doing behind them?"

Kagome's eyes widened and she turned to Ryu and queried, "you mean you can see Amidamaru-sama and Bason?!"

"Of course, I can. They're as clear as day." Ryu replied. "Ever since I've fought Asakura those two times… I've been feeling different."

"...Yoh-kun and Tao-san… They're shamans," Kagome replied, unsure if she should share that information with Ryu, but she figured it would not hurt. "They're humans that can bond with spirits and take on their power…" She said nothing else because she was too fixed on watching Yoh and Ren. It was obvious that they were two totally different people because hardly anything made Yoh upset, but Ren's words about Amidamaru did.

Yoh grabbed Ryu's wooden sword that was sitting against his motor bike and said as he looked over to the bush, "Ryu, I'm going to borrow this, okay?"

Ryu stood up and replied, "O-okay!" Kagome did not know why but she followed Ryu's lead and stood up as well.

"Yoh-kun! Be careful!!!" Kagome yelled. "That guy is danger…" She suddenly trailed off when Ren looked over to her and made eye contact. It brought her back to yesterday night, which she had completely forgotten about. "-ous…" she finished softly. "I-It's you!"

Without a word of recognition to her, Ren turned back to Yoh and then became one with Bason as Yoh did with Amidamaru. Ryu pulled Kagome down back into the bushes, as if it would protect them from any danger.

"Kagome-chan, it would be best if you just laid low with us," Manta stated from the other side of her.

"You're right, Manta-kun…" Kagome said absently. "Eh-? Wait- Manta-kun?! When did you get here?!" she asked.

"I would like to know that too," Ryu stated. Both he and Kagome looked at the short boy.

"That has to wait for later…" Manta said. "I'm afraid for Yoh-kun… That guy, Tao Ren, I saw him cut a truck in two!"

"What?!" Kagome and Ryu asked shocked at the power of Ren who was rather short compared to Yoh, even with his tongari hairstyle. And then it began, a fight between Tao Ren and Asakura Yoh; the first fight between shamans that the three of them had ever witnessed.

* * *

**Chapter 5: The Great Dog Demon and the Chinese Warrior**

**(Part 1)**

**!ENDS!**

Authoress' Notes: And there you have it everyone! Chapter 4 complete with a bit over twenty pages of _Shaman King_ goodness, excluding the before and after authoress' notes! I hope you guys liked it! Well, keep bringing in those votes for pairings! Here are the votes so far including the ones from the poll that used to be my profile, a new one will be up soon.

There will also be more of my self-insert in the future! . Don't hate me, I didn't feel like making OC's. I figured since I'm the Hinata Hyuuga type there would be no annoying Mary Sues. Also there will be more of the Higurashi twins, more Sesshomaru, more looks into Kagome's past later! More Sesshomaru comes in the next chapter though! :D Sesshomaru is epic.

And that Kagome/Manta thing… Meh, I had fun with it. More of that in the future too. I tried easing up on the Kagome/Yoh for a moment and gave Manta more solo spotlight because in the series… It switches between Yoh and Manta being the main character to me.

Yoh/Kagome- 48  
Harem/Kagome- 39  
Ren/Kagome- 17  
Faust/Kagome- 4 (Stop voting for this people, it won't happen)  
Sesshomaru/Kagome- 10 (This won't happen in this story either)  
Hao/Kagome- 22  
Horo Horo/Kagome- 3  
Anna/Hao- 1  
Lyserg/Kagome- 2

Now I have something to say to some people, specifically ones who read my _Coming to the Light _Death Note/Inuyasha fic. I'm not flaming anyone, but there is something I've been waiting to say.

First of all, I do not consider letting you guys know that I am disappointed about the reviews bitchy, whiny, spoiled, egotistic, or anything like that. Everyone is different. Everyone is motivated by different things. Some people prefer subscribers, others prefer favorites, and I prefer reviews. Know why? Because unlike what other people claim, I do not take time out to type out these stories and post them on the Internet for myself.

Why? Because I already have the stories plotted out in my head. I already know what is going to happen from beginning to end. And I do like my own stories. The purpose of the Internet is communication. That is it. I post these stories to share my ideas with others so they can enjoy it (or hate it in some cases), then they can tell me what they like about it. I like hearing about what people's favorite part was, what make them laugh or want to cry. That is why I prefer views. I'm not crying for super, long detailed reviews that basically retells my own story to me. Some can write a three sentence review like I do at times…

"OMG!! I love it! You HAVE to update as soon as you can!

The funniest part so far was when L looked up at Kagome. that would creep almost anyone out."

This is one example of a review that I liked very much. It was brief, but it told me what they liked and that stuff motivates me.

Just because some people have different taste than you do, does mean they are wrong. It may annoy you, or peeve you. But get over it. Because I like what I like and no one can let me super long rants about how annoying they think I am being will change me. If people don't tell me what they like then it's just a waste of time.

From my viewpoint, it looks like people are trying to force their opinions on me and bully me. I know they are not, because I try to see things from other's viewpoints.

I have been in your situation before. Ya know? When you have a story you like, then the author ask for more reviews of whatever they like or they won't update. It's really disappointing when authors post chapters** just **about that. But still, I know how they feel so I don't… (I don't want to call it "bitching", cause I don't think that's what you guys were doing) at them. I just give them what they want, then encourage them to keep going, despite their disappointment. Any good author has been in that situation before, because even if you started out as a great author, you know you had room for improvement and you wanted to know that people liked the story as much as you do.

To sum this up.

I don't write this stuff for myself, so get off it. It doesn't make sense to me, honestly.

I prefer reviews because I like know why people like the story and what they enjoy reading. For example if they liked the fluffy parts.

Stop being so closed-minded and see things from my point of view as well. I could have became defensive and flamed some people for what they said. (And not everyone was rude with what they said, so if you know you weren't rude. This is not directed at you.)

Try to empathize with others, especially over the Internet because many misunderstandings occur over the Internet since you can not see a person's facial expression, hear their tone of voice, or read their body language when you communicate through Internet. And yeah, I did not say I would never update again if I did not get a set number of reviews. I could have left another note writing in all caps about this, but I didn't.

Don't try to lecture me about being a good author and being mature.

So that's all. I hope you enjoyed the story and whatever. I just had to get that out. If you do not agree with me or refuse to compromise, then just stop reading and reviewing all together. I do not want anyone to start a war with me over the Internet. I am not expecting anyone to, but if you do, then I will block you and that will be the end of that.

R&R! There I said it.


	6. The GDD and the CW Part II

Authoress Notes: Yeah, I've decided to update _Shaman King_ once more before doing _Coming to the Light_ and that's because if anyone can remember way back, I did the same for Coming to the Light. This is for the Shaman King fans, and I was really flowing with ideas for chapter six!

Special Chapter Dedication to: All of you! I can't point out anyone specific because all you faithful reviewers have been awesome! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King or Inuyasha and claim no rights to them but I DO own this fan fiction story.

_**

* * *

**_

Previously on _**Shaman King**__**…**_

"_Damn…" Ryu cursed when he fell backwards on bottom. "What's with this kid?" he asked himself aloud. All of his followers had been single-handedly defeated by the demented boy in front of his head. He and his gang planned to teach the brat a lesson for stepping foot on his territory, but they ended up defeated. Ryu flinched then paled when the boy pointed the blade end of his kwan-dao into his face. It was gleaming with a silvery taste of blood-shed._

"_Tell me where Asakura Yoh is hiding and I might spare your life," the fighter said._

"_You are a formidable opponent…" Ryu said coolly, trying to look strong and mature and keep his pride. "As you know, I am Ryu of the Wooden Sword. What is your name, stranger?"_

"_I'll only repeat myself once more," the boy stated irritably. "Where is Asakura Yoh?!" The boy threatened Ryu by slicing more of his ridiculous hair off. Ryu gasped and paled even more when his hair fell to the ground. It was enough that Yoh had taken some off the top, but now- "If you won't tell me then you can just die." With that said, the boy drew back his weapon then jabbed it straight at Ryu's face. Ryu instinctively shut his eyes and waited for the end… The end that never came._

"_Asakura Yoh…" the boy said in a low tone as he looked over his shoulder at the person who stopped him from ending Ryu's life by grabbing hold of his kwan-dao. "So you finally decided to show your face."_

_Yoh smiled and replied, "Maybe I should have come earlier. You seem a bit impatient."_

"_Enough small talk," the boy said as he turned around to face Yoh. "I presume you know what I came here for…"_

"_How about you start with your name?" Yoh asked calmly, not taking the situation seriously at all, despite the aura of war and death radiating off the other shaman._

"_I am Tao Ren," the boy now known as Ren replied bluntly with no further introductions. Ren looked past Yoh to Amidamaru and smirked. "I see you at least have a good tool."_

_Yoh narrowed his eyes and replied, "If you're referring to Amidamaru, then I suggest you rephrase that. He is my friend, not a tool."_

_Ren then laughed heartily at Yoh's quite serious statement. "Ha ha ha, your friend?" Ren asked after he finished laughing. "Did you hear that, Bason?" On cue, Ren's guardian spirit made his presence known. Even Amidamaru was taken aback by the sheer size and power of the armored warrior._

_Yoh did not take his eyes off of Ren now, not even when he asked Ryu to take a few steps back. Ryu complied by rushing off to hide in some nearby bushes._

"_What the-?" Ryu asked once he was inside the bushes. "What are you going here, girly?" he inquired the blue-gray eyed girl who had already taken refuge in the bushes._

"_Ssh!" the school girl replied while putting her pointer against her lips. "Don't tell Yoh-kun." Ryu nodded and before he could say anything else, she continued, "and by the way, it's Higurashi Kagome, okay?"_

_Ryu could nothing but ask what anyone in his situation would ask, "Those two aren't normal are they? And what are those guys doing behind them?"_

_Kagome's eyes widened and she turned to Ryu and queried, "you mean you can see Amidamaru-sama and Bason?!"_

"_Of course, I can. They're as clear as day." Ryu replied. "Ever since I've fought Asakura those two times… I've been feeling different."_

"_...Yoh-kun and Tao-san… They're shamans," Kagome replied, unsure if she should share that information with Ryu, but she figured it would not hurt. "They're humans that can bond with spirits and take on their power…" She said nothing else because she was too fixed on watching Yoh and Ren. It was obvious that they were two totally different people because hardly anything made Yoh upset, but Ren's words about Amidamaru did._

_Yoh grabbed Ryu's wooden sword that was sitting against his motor bike and said as he looked over to the bush, "Ryu, I'm going to borrow this, okay?"_

_Ryu stood up and replied, "O-okay!" Kagome did not know why but she followed Ryu's lead and stood up as well._

"_Yoh-kun! Be careful!!!" Kagome yelled. "That guy is danger…" She suddenly trailed off when Ren looked over to her and made eye contact. It brought her back to yesterday night, which she had completely forgotten about. "-ous…" she finished softly. "I-It's you!"_

_Without a word of recognition to her, Ren turned back to Yoh and then became one with Bason as Yoh did with Amidamaru..._

**Chapter 5: The Great Dog Demon and the Chinese Warrior**

**(Part II)**

Ren immediately dove into offense with Bason and his kwan-dao. He inhumanly leaped into the air and brought down his weapon overhead on to Yoh who managed to stop the attack with the wooden sword. "Tao Ren," Yoh spoke as he and Ren took turns make jabs at each other and dodging, "I believe that evil people can not see spirits, so you must be not evil. So what's your problem?"

Ren dodged a swing from Yoh and instantly countered the attack, only to be blocked yet again. "The world has been defiled and needs to be cleansed. A sign of that is the stars fading from our view." The shamans met each other face to face when they both tried to attack but ended up locked in a match of strength, each trying to overpower the other. "Stars are lights that guide us and those who lose sight of that light becomes corrupted and needs to be destroyed!" The victor in the match of strength was Ren who managed to push Yoh back with the pole of the kwan-dao.

Ren pointed his sharp weapon at Yoh and yelled, continuing his tirade, "you as a shaman should now that! Spirits are merely tools given to shamans to fulfill their duty! And you, a foolish shaman who calls his tool a friend deserves to die with the rest of filth!"

"I told you, Amidamaru is my friend!" Yoh countered as he charged at Ren, ready to make him to take back his words. Ren smirked and ran to meet Yoh head on as before.

From within the bushes Ryu, Manta, and Kagome were watching the fight intently. "Say, Kagome-chan," Manta asked, having temporarily forgotten about the situation that made him avoid her, "you're a priestess so you can sense power. Who do you think will win?"

Kagome was silent for a moment. Both Ryu and Manta looked at Kagome expectantly. "Well… Judging by power… Tao Ren has the upper hand… And it seems like he also has more skill and training than Yoh-kun so…" she dared not think it.

"What are you saying?" Manta asked worriedly. "Yoh-kun and Amidamaru stands a chance against that guy, don't they?" Manta shook Kagome's shoulder and asked persistently, "don't they?"

"If that Yoh kid doesn't win, then we're all screwed." Ryu said, not making things better.

Kagome finally managed to nod positively and said, "Yeah, of course they stand a chance… If they didn't, I'm pretty sure Tao-san would have taken them out by now."

Ryu and Manta suddenly gasped sharply, causing Kagome to snap her head back up to watch the sight. She looked up just in time to see Ren take a step by and call out, "Bason!" Bason grunted in response and they let out a barrage of attacks with the kwan-dao, "Chuuka Zanmai!" Yoh was in such a close range that-

"He can't dodge that attack!" Ryu yelled out the obvious.

An instant before the attack reached them, Amidamaru told Yoh of his plan, "if we can not dodge it, then we must strike it down!" Yoh jumped above the attack and brought the wooden sword down onto the kwan-dao, successfully stopping the attack. The worse damage was brought to a motor bike that was cut in half by the attack. A bead of sweat ran down Yoh's face at the close call… If that had been him instead…

Ren growled in frustration and glared at Yoh, 'the Chuuka Zanmai failed?!' he thought shocked and infuriated at the same time. The failure of the attack made him remember his father's words…

_Do not underestimate the Asakura family…_

Yoh took the chance to get some distance between the two of them; he did not want any more surprise attacks like that. Ren inhaled deeply to calm his anger a bit and he then gave Yoh a stony glare, "Asakura Yoh, I have been chosen to become Shaman King."

Hearing this Yoh was taken aback, 'Shaman King?'

"Therefore, I am the only shaman needed. You should just disappear." Ren stated.

"Shaman King? Is that what you want?" Yoh asked.

"Hmph, playtime is over." Ren said. No one was prepared for what happened. "Bason! Hyoi 100%!!!"

Kagome gasped and stood up. "Yoh-kun, watch out! His power just increased immensely!!!" Yoh unwisely looked over to Kagome and Ren took this opportunity to launch the next attack.

"Asakura! Keep your eyes on your enemy!" Ren called out while charging at Yoh with incredible speed. Yoh turned back Ren, just in time to raise up a dense with the sword. "That's **useless**!!!" Ren knocked Yoh so hard that he was sent crashing through a tomb stone and several yards away.

"Yoh-kun!!!" Kagome and Manta called out in unison.

Yoh gathered his bearings as quickly as he could. It was obviously not fast enough because when he looked up, his met the bloodthirsty eyes of Tao Ren. Yoh scrambled to his feet but it was too late. "Goodbye, Asakura Yoh!" Ren said as he took a step back. "CHUUKA ZANMAI!!!"

'No…' Kagome thought desperately. 'No.' The attack was launched but the blade never touched Yoh. 'No… No…' But still Yoh was struck by the sheer power… His blood spewed from his shoulder and he fell to the ground… defeated.

"You were a waste of my time," Ren said over Yoh's body. "You and I… We're on two totally different levels as shamans." Ren raised his kwan-dao for the killing move and said, "I might as well end your pathetic life right now. Say hello to your 'friend' in the next world.'

That was it. That was all she could take. "Yoh-kun!" Kagome called out as she ran towards the two shamans.

Manta and Ryu stood up and followed her lead. Ryu yelled at her, "wait! That guy will slaughter you!"

"Kagome-chan! Wait a minute!" Manta also called out to her as they ran.

Kagome ignored the two of them, she stopped between Ren and Yoh's fallen body. "That's far enough!" she yelled. "Leave him alone!"

"If you stand in my way then I will-" _**SLAP! **_Ren did not even have the chance to finish his sentence. Kagome had slapped him clear across the faced out blind desperation and fury.

"Sh- She didn't…" Ryu whispered.

Ren was more shocked than hurt, in fact, he was not hurt at all. For several moments, he stood there with his head turned to the side in the direction Kagome had slapped him with his mouth slightly ajar. Kagome was more shocked than anyone… She almost felt the urge to apologize but before she could even fix her mouth to speak, Ren was back into reality.

He growled and glared at her, "d-damn you!!!"

"He'll kill her!" Ryu's remaining followers yelled.

Kagome closed her eyes and waited for whatever her fate was… "Stay out of my way!" Ren yelled before whacking her on top of her head with the pole of his kwan-dao. It was enough to knock the girl out cold… She fell into Ryu's arms without even a peep of pain.

Ryu did not even lecture Ren on hitting a girl, he mounted Kagome onto his bike and Yoh was quickly lifted onto one of his follower's bikes. The gang with the addition of Manta, Yoh, and Kagome sped away and fled from the scene… Ren allowed them to.

(Sugisaku Hospital)

Ryu, his gang, and Manta were now sitting in the waiting area. Ryu looked down at Manta and stated, "Your friends will be fine for now, the doctor is a really good one. I told him that they were in a bike accident."

Manta looked up at Ryu and smiled, "thanks for everything, Ryu."

Ryu nodded and said, "I owe Asakura that much, he saved my life after all. But something still bugs me about that Tao kid…"

"What is it?" asked Manta curiously.

"It seemed like he hesitated on killing that girl…"

"_and by the way, it's Higurashi Kagome, okay?"_

"That girl, Kagome," Ryu finished slowly, remembering what she told him.

"I was wondering the same thing," Manta admitted. "But for whatever reason… I'm glad." The sandy blond finished with a sad smile. "If Kagome-chan had gotten hurt I don't know what I'd do."

"Well then, let's just thank the gods," Ryu said as he turned to leave. "Give Asakura my gratitude."

"Thanks… Ryu…" Manta said as Ryu and his gang left him in the poorly lit waiting area.

(The Next Morning)

"Ah, so Ryu saved me?" Yoh asked Manta with a smile. "I need to thank him next time I see him."

"The doctor also said your injury isn't serious," Manta stated. "So how do you feel now?"

Yoh sat up in the hospital bed and grinned, "I'm alive. And it's all thanks to Amidamaru!"

On cue Amidamaru appeared with a gloomy look on his face. "I do not deserve your praise, Yoh-dono. If it weren't for me… You wouldn't have gotten hurt."

Yoh turned to Amidamaru with a reassuring smile and said," don't beat yourself up because things didn't go the way you wanted. As long as we're all alive, that's all that matters." Yoh paused for a moment before something clicked in his head. "Speaking of us all, where's Kagome-chan? Did she go home or something?"

Manta and Amidamaru exchanged looks and Manta decided to tell Yoh of the news. "Kagome-chan is here…"

Yoh obliviously looked left and right, then scoped the entire room, "what? But I don't see her here."

"I mean, she's in the hospital too." Manta said. "She suffered a blow too."

Yoh's eyes hardened, hearing this. "Where is she?" he asked.

"In the room to the right," Manta replied. Yoh then swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood. "A-Ah! Wait, Yoh-kun! The doctor said all Kagome would be fine with some sleep!"

Yoh put on his sandals and replied with his usual cool grin, "yeah, but I want to visit her."

Manta hopped off the chair he was sitting in and asked, "but will be really okay to disturb her? She was hit on the head after all."

"I'm sure Kagome-chan is fine now and will be glad to see us," Yoh replied as he headed out the door with Amidamaru following closely behind him. Manta almost wanted to call out to him and tell him not to… No. For some reason he wanted to ask Yoh how he really felt about her, their best friend… But instead he followed behind Yoh and Amidamaru and went into Kagome's room.

Kagome's room was identical to Yoh's, save for the person lying in bed. Kagome was sleeping peacefully with bandages wrapped around her head, covering her long bangs. "So… what happened?" asked Yoh as he looked down at his sleeping friend.

"Well Tao was about finish you off but then Kagome-chan ran up and slapped him," Manta explained. "I guess he was too shocked to anything. Anyway, so he hit her on the head."

That was when Kagome's eyes fluttered open as she went in and out of consciousness. "Y-Yoh-kun? Manta-kun?" she asked softly.

"Yeah, we're here," Manta replied, taking hold of Kagome's hand in case she needed support. "Are you alright, Kagome-chan?"

"Yeah…" Kagome whispered back. "What happened? Did we win?" she asked once her eyes were fully open.

Yoh patted Kagome on the head and before laughing a bit, "we didn't win, but we didn't lose either I guess."

"I remember now…" Kagome whispered. She looked up at Yoh with a glad smile and she said, "win or lose… I'm just glad… I'm glad that you're okay."

"How's your head?" asked Manta worriedly.

"It hurts a little but Yoh-kun must be in much more pain," Kagome said. "Tao went easy on me after all…" Kagome sat up and then smiled brightly. "But do you know what I really want right now?"

"What? Whatever it is, I'll get it for you," Manta replied.

"Yeah, and I'll help," Yoh added with a grin.

Kagome smiled even more and stated, "thanks but this something I have to get on my own…" She then got to her feet, the way Yoh had did a few minutes ago. "Manta-kun, I want you to watch Yoh-kun and make sure he gets his rest."

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Kagome had found him exactly where she thought he would be. The silver haired demon lord was leaning against a tree near where the priestess eater used to be. He opened his molten gold eyes and looked at the young priestess-in-training that came a long way just to see him. "Why have you returned, girl?" Sesshomaru inquired with a voice so cold that it was almost callous.

Kagome smiled warmly and replied, "I'm sure you know why I'm here."

"Indeed I do," the demon spirit said. "And as you know, the answer is no."

"But why?!" Kagome asked. "I know we'd make a great team!" she said.

"And I am sure we will not," Sesshomaru countered sharply. "I have no interested in such things. And even if I was, I would never stoop so low as to choose a weak human girl as my partner, a priestess no less." He watched motionlessly as Kagome boldly approached him fearlessly.

"Listen please, Sesshomaru…"

"Sesshomaru_**-sama**_," Sesshomaru stated, correcting Kagome.

"Sesshomaru-sama…" Kagome began, a bit peeved. "I need your help!" she said. "Another powerful shaman has appeared and I…" she looked away from him for a moment because tears were building in her eyes. They were tears that she did not want him to see. "I need a partner… That way, I can stand and fight and not be a burden."

Kagome blinked the tears away so she could look at Sesshomaru face to face. She had gotten so close that they were a mere foot away from each other. "Find yourself someone else, girl. Your problems has nothing to do with me," Sesshomaru replied.

"I know you don't mean that." Kagome stated persistently. "I did my research." She told him, which actually caught Sesshomaru's attention. "Higurashi Rin, my ancestor, died during a raid of your castle while you were gone."

Sesshomaru scoffed and said, "Rin has nothing to do with this." This girl, Higurashi Kagome, was beginning to push his buttons.

"Yes she does." Kagome continued on, so into her explanation that she did not notice the demonic power welling up inside of Sesshomaru with each sentence that escaped her lips. "I also know that you used to have a sword called Tenseiga, it was a sword that had the ability of healing and life. You tried to use the sword to save Rin but you couldn't because her soul was already gone." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at the girl. "You searched the rest of your life for Rin's soul, but you never found i-!"

That was all she could get out of that sentence. Sesshomaru suddenly accosted Kagome by her slim neck with one hand and he turned around so that Kagome was backed against the tree he was just leaning against. "I suggest you shut your mouth, girl." Sesshomaru said coldly as he gave her neck a rough squeeze. "Never speak on a subject you know nothing of."

Kagome took hold of Sesshomaru's arm and trying removing his iron grip on her neck. He was purposely cutting off her airways. But still she gasped for air and continued talking, "…I-I promise… I promise not to bother you about being my guardian again… I promise…" she stated, gasping for more air. Hearing this, Sesshomaru released her and she fell to the ground. Kagome coughed a bit and then looked up at the demon lord.

"Now leave this place and never return," Sesshomaru commanded.

Kagome nodded, "right…" She shakily got to her feet and began walking away. After walking a good ten yards, the blue-gray eyed girl turned around once more. "Before I leave… Do you know the reason why you never found Rin's soul?" Sesshomaru's silence and stony glare signified that he did not know, just as she though.

Kagome smiled sadly and explained, "it's because Rin's soul already moved on." For a split-second Sesshomaru's expression changed from stony to an emotion akin to surprise. "Rin was one of the few that died during the raid because she was one of the few that stayed to fight and defend her home… Even though she knew she was weak and powerless, she loyally stayed and tried her best to fight for something she cherished…" Kagome then turned around so that she was no longer facing Sesshomaru, she had to because now she was crying.

For some reason, at that moment, she could not empathize with Rin's lingering feelings, but she could feel them. It was if part of her was still here. "And even though she died… She died a happy death because she was able to die helping… Making herself useful to the person she loved. And not only that…" Kagome choked on a sob and her shoulders trembled. "She felt that her death was not in vain… So that's why… That's why she was able to move on so quickly."

It was late evening and the sun was beginning to set so the sky was orangey-pink color. A warm breeze swept through the clearing as a blue light suddenly beamed down from the heavens. Kagome gasped and turned around, feeling a strange new presence that entered the scene. Both Sesshomaru and Kagome looked to the sky and watched the gold, crescent shaped bow from before float downwards towards the ground.

"_Sesshomaru-sama," an unfamiliar, feminine voice called from above yet all around them at the same time. "Kagome-chan is right about everything she just said…"_

Kagome gasped and asked, "don't tell that this voice is…"

"Rin," Sesshomaru said. "I consider you leaving without consulting me insubordination."

"_Gomen nasai," Rin's voice apologized sadly. "But Kagome-chan was true in everything. And if it's not too much to ask, my lord… Would you please help her? I want to continue living through Kagome-chan… I want to entrust the Crescent to her. Together, the three of us can have lots of fun. Kagome-chan reminds me of Ran-neechan."_

"Rin… That is one request that I can not grant," Sesshomaru replied.

Kagome was too awed by the Crescent floating into her arms to pay attention to Sesshomaru at the moment. It was so warm and shiny… It was also radiating with pure energy. "Rin-san, part of your soul is here in the Crescent?"

"_Yes, so please take good care of it… I have high hopes for you, Kagome-chan. Good luck… both of you…" _

The beam of light then shrunk into nothing but sparkles floating in the air. "Sesshomaru-sama…" Kagome said, gaining his attention once more. "I know Rin gave this to me… But…" She held out the bow in front of her and asked, "wouldn't it be better if you kept it?" Sesshomaru silently walked across the clearing. Kagome's eyes widened when he even walked past her.

"Come along, girl," Sesshomaru said without even stopping to wait on Kagome. "If you wish leave, then we will do it now."

'We?' Kagome smiled inwardly to herself before turning around to Sesshomaru. "Right I'm comi-!" The priestess-in-training called out to the demon spirit, "wait! That's wrong way!" She ran after him with a content smile on her face and the Crescent swung over her shoulder.

(Sugisaku Hospital)

Manta closed his cell phone and said, "Kagome-chan isn't answering. Her phone is going straight to voicemail."

"I'm guessing things went well," Yoh replied with a grin.

"How can you that when we get no answer?!" Manta yelled.

"Chill, Manta," Yoh replied. "In order to live happily, you've got to be lazy…" he plopped backwards on his hospital bed. "Like me!"

"Yoh-dono," Amidamaru asked. "Do you have any interest in becoming Shaman King?"

"I was wondering that too," Manta said. "But what exactly is Shaman King anyway?"

Yoh closed his eyes and tried to explain the best he could, "hm… well, I don't know much about it either but… My grandfather told me about it… It was ten years ago… All I know is that the Shaman King is the one shaman who gets merge with the King of Spirits, the spirit of all living things. And yeah, I've always wanted to become Shaman King so I can…" he trailed off for a moment.

"So you can?" Amidamaru and Manta urged the young shaman to continue.

"So I can live a life of leisure!" Yoh admitted shamelessly before laughing aloud. Manta and Amidamaru jaws dropped at his statement.

'How can you admit something like that? Such impure motivation…' Manta thought.

"Well… I wanted to wait around for a while until Kagome-chan came back, but I guess it can't be helped." With that said, Yoh got off his bed once again and then doubled-over from the pain. "It still hurts a bit."

"Then you shouldn't be moving, Yoh-kun!" Manta replied. "You need to heal first!"

"I would if I could, but I can't." Yoh replied as he went to window. Manta and Amidamaru followed him and gazed out the window when Yoh opened to curtains. Surely enough, there at the gateway to the hospital stood Tao Ren, kwan-dao and Bason ready to fight again. Yoh did not waver when he and Ren made eye contact but he did whisper aloud, "he sure is persistent…"

"Are you going?" Manta asked, looking up at Yoh, but he already knew the answer.

"Yeah, I don't want to cause any unnecessary trouble for anyone else," Yoh replied. With that said, the three of them left for round two of the fight. Yoh made sure to grab a metal pole off the ground as his new weapon…

The location of the battle was near the park surrounded by the woody area. It was a quiet, secluded place that not many people came to at this time of night. "Hmph. You don't think that using a weapon will increase your chance at winning do you?" asked Ren pompously. "Asakura, you only bring out 15% of your tool's power while I'm at 100%. Do you really think you have a chance?" Yoh did not reply to the question, which irked Ren a bit. "Well let's this started," Ren said. Yoh agreed as they both merged with their guardian spirits.

Ren instantly went in for the kill and launched a series of swipes, which Yoh dodged for the most part. The last swipe was blocked by the long metal pole Yoh picked up as a weapon; the kwan-dao cut the pole clean in half. "Thank you," Yoh said with a smile. He threw half of the pole to the side and stated, "The length is perfect now." Next it was Yoh's turns to take the offensive as he swung at Ren countless times without stopping. For a moment it looked like Yoh now had the upper hand because with each attack he was able to push Ren back more and more. But Ren then side stepped Yoh, causing Yoh to stumble from surprise and Ren took the chance to stab Yoh in the gut with the opposite side of the kwan-dao of the blade.

Yoh stumbled backwards before doubling-over in pain. "It seems like that's the best you can do," Ren stated with a smirk. "On the other hand, I'm not even using 30% of Bason's power." Ren pointed his blade into Yoh's face and yelled, "A shaman who calls a spirit a friend is disgusting! When a shaman and spirit become one, they merge into one body with two wills. It is impossible two wills to coexist willingly with each other, therefore," Ren paused as he began his next attack. "A spirit must be used as a tool!"

Yoh rolled out of the way of the attacked and then ducked into the trees and bushes, making it harder for Ren to use the kwan-dao. Ren huffed then proceeded to cut down everything that got between him and his target. Once all the trees and bushes were cleared, Yoh immediately leaped into the air and sprung an attack on Ren that almost caught him off guard. Ren merely blocked it and smirked again, "the only reason you are still breathing is because of that samurai spirit… Yes, I think I can make good use of him."

"What?" Yoh asked angrily. "Amidamaru is my spirit and I'll never let anyone abuse him!"

"It's stupid beliefs like that that makes you so weak!" Ren countered. Yoh was too weak to block Ren's next attack and Ren sent Yoh flying clear across their battlefield. Ren smiled at the sight of Yoh crouched over on the ground with Amidamaru next to him. "So your strength has diminished to the point that you can't hold the Hyoi Gattai?" Ren asked. Ren took his time approaching Yoh and Amidamaru, knowing full well that the battle was over.

"A-Amidamaru…" Yoh said as he looked at his primary spirit. "As long as I'm alive, he can't make you into his…" He smiled sadly and commanded, "Take the time to leave here. Cross into the next world with Mosuke so he can't get to you."

"Yoh-dono," Amidamaru replied seriously. "Even if I wanted to rest in peace, I couldn't…" The samurai spirit then glared at Ren who looked as if he was going to laugh at them. "Because I am already attached to you!" he announced.

"How touching," Ren mocked as he charged in for another attack. "You two can disappear together then!"

"Yoh-kun!" Manta called out from his hiding spot. All Yoh could do was brace himself for the pain- _**BOOM!**_ A flaming arrow of pink energy shot from seemingly nowhere and nearly toasted Ren when it crashed down into the ground, creating a small crater in the soil. "What was that?" Manta asked himself.

Ren raised his kwan-dao in a defensive stance and looked around. "Who's there?!" he yelled out. "Show yourself!" he demanded.

Then out from the shadows of the trees came a girl familiar to them, holding a crescent shaped bow made of what seemed to be pure gold. "Kagome-chan?!" Manta asked shocked.

Yoh looked over his shoulder to find Kagome standing behind. "K-Kagome-chan?" he asked through clenched teeth. "This isn't your fight so you shouldn't get involved."

Kagome shook her head as another arrow made from pink energy formed in her hand. "Yoh-kun," she began with a frown, "how can you say something like that?" she asked. "You, me, Manta-kun, and Amidamaru-sama… We're all friends. And friends always stick together, no matter what."

_Yoh looked down at Manta as he proceeded to drag the short boy, "My grandfather once said evil can not see spirits. So you must be a good person. I can't stand by and let a good person like you get bullied like that."_

_Kagome looked to the ground. Suddenly she felt… forgotten. She was alone already... And this was only her second day of school, and the beginning of her third week in Tokyo. She silently watched them slowly walk away._

"_What are you saying?" Manta asked, yanking his arm away. "Ryu is total bad guy with many sidekicks! What can someone like you do?"_

_Yoh whispered, "No doubt, I am pretty weak."_

"_Then why are you-"_

"_Asakura…" Kagome whispered._

_Yoh grinned over his shoulder, "it's alright and things will work out somehow…" Yoh grabbed Manta's wrist again and stated. "So let's go." Before proceeding on his trek to see Ryu, Yoh looked back at Kagome who stood idly watching the entire scene as if she was not even there._

_Kagome's eyes widened when their eyes met._

"_Are you coming, Higurashi?" Yoh inquired. Kagome wiped her lonely tears away and nodded enthusiastically. She did not ponder about how her sorrow suddenly disappeared when she saw Yoh's smile and the warmth in it._

"_You bet!" she chirped._

"_Good, now we'll go see Ryu together." Yoh replied as he allowed Kagome to catch up with them._

"Besides…" Kagome whispered. "Back when we first met, you did the same thing for Manta-kun and I and we were total strangers back then." Kagome glared at Ren and said, "Tao Ren, I'll take you on!"

Ren placed on hand on his hand and pointed at her before laughing, "You? Take me on?" He then stopped laughing and gave her a cold look. "You must want to die early."

"Don't underestimate me!" Kagome countered. "Let's do it, Sesshomaru!" On his shaman's command, the silver haired and gold eyed demon lord appeared and made his presence known.

"Sesshomaru?! But how did Kagome-chan manage to get him to join her?" Manta wondered aloud.

"Sesshomaru?" Yoh looked up at the spirit and smiled despite the pain he was in. "That's pretty awesome, Kagome-chan."

"So you're a shaman too?" Ren asked Kagome. "Then I have no reason to hold back!" he smirked. "But do you really think you stand a chance?"

'We'll just have to see,' Kagome thought to herself. "Sesshomaru~ Spirit Ball Mode!" she commanded. Sesshomaru followed her lead and changed into a small ball of energy. Kagome then took and pushed it into her chest and gasped softly at the sensation that surged through her… It was warm and empowering, unlike what happened between them before. "Hyoi Gattai!" For a moment, Kagome just stood with a dark red aura radiating off of her.

"Kagome-chan…" Yoh said as he tried to get to his feet. "Are you alright?"

"I've never felt before," Kagome replied with a smile. "Tao Ren, as of now, you'll have to get through me if you want Yoh-kun!"

"Fine with me!" Ren yelled as he charged at Kagome with a speed that she was not expecting. Kagome clumsily fumbled, trying to form another arrow. "Are you stupid? Never use a long-range weapon up close!" Ren yelled as he swiped his kwan-dao at Kagome.

"Get down!" Yoh screamed as he tackled Kagome to the side, both barely missed being struck by Ren's merciless attack. They skidded across the ground, dirtying the back of Kagome's shirt because Yoh landed on top of her. "Are you okay?" Yoh asked before cringing from the pain in his shoulder.

"A-Ah! Yoh-kun!" Kagome whispered when she saw blood start to soak through his bandages. "You reopened your wounds!"

"I-It's nothing," he tried to crack a smile. "You have to get away while you still can. You're no match for him. I couldn't live with myself knowing you got hurt because of me."

Amidamaru appeared beside the two of them and stated, "Kagome-sama, leave this fight to Yoh-dono and I. Together, I know we can defeat him." Yoh nodded and smiled at his spirit while slowly getting to his feet.

"Yoh-kun…" Kagome whispered.

"Leave this to us," Yoh looked over his shoulder and grinned. "I promise to not lose."

"Such tough words from a weakling!" Ren shouted as he tried an overhead attack that would split Yoh in two. Ren gasped when he was blocked and then staved off. He flipped backwards and landed on one knee. "Hyoi 100%..." he growled. "That's impossible to achieve without conquering the spirit!"

Yoh calmly walked over to the other end of the pole that was cut in half once before and crossed his arms over each other. "You taught us that 100% strength can only be achieved when shaman and spirit are one…" Yoh and Amidamaru spoke in perfect unison.

"Cut the crap, Asakura!!!" Ren shouted angrily. "Chuuka Zanmai!!!"

"Amidamaru Goukoujin!!!" Both attacks were launched at the same time, but one attack pulled through. Kagome and Manta gasped when Ren's kwan-dao broke into pieces and he was sent crashing head first on the ground several yards away…

"He did it!" Kagome cheered enthusiastically. Sesshomaru, who had long exited her body, only scoffed and looked away as Kagome and Manta ran up to Yoh when he suddenly toppled over. Manta bent over to check on Yoh while Kagome stood up and looked around for Ren, whose body was nowhere to be found. 'Tao Ren… He's still out there…'

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

The next morning Manta awoke to Kagome shaking him and calling his name. "Manta-kun… Manta-kun!" she called, stirring him from his sleep. Manta yawned and stretched before rubbing his eyes. He looked at Kagome and then at Yoh, who was already awake and smiling casually.

"Oh… Good morning," he said in a raspy voice. "What is it?" he asked.

"Yoh-kun is hungry so I'm going to the cafeteria for some breakfast," Kagome announced. "Would you like anything?" she asked.

"A pork cutlet and some bitter melon juice," Manta replied with a grateful smile.

Kagome nodded and waved to her best friends before leaving the room. "I'll be back soon, okay?"

"Don't get lost!" Yoh called out playfully and Manta sweat dropped when he heard Kagome yell something almost profound from the hallway.

Kagome huffed and blushed at the same time as she made her way to the cafeteria. There was no line because it so early that most patients were not up or they did not have any visitors so she was in and out in almost a flash. Kagome smiled inwardly as she carried her bag full of food back towards the room. 'Almost there,' she thought absently. Kagome skipped around the corner and- _**BAM!**_

Cans of juice rolled across the floor when Kagome landed on the floor. "Ow..." she whispered, holding her head. She opened her eyes and gasped at the sight of a cute girl with blond hair, brown eyes, and a black dress also sitting on the floor.

The girl stood up as if the impact of their head on collision had not fazed her. She brushed off her dress and looked down at Kagome and stated, "That hurt."

"Eh heh heh," Kagome laughed nervously, something about this girl screamed trouble to her. "I'm sorry about that." Kagome apologized as she quickly gathered up her fallen goods.

"Never mind that," the girl replied as she crossed her arms. "You turned this corner to get to that room over there, right?" she asked.

"Yeah," Kagome nodded and wondered where this was leading off to. She had taken a shortcut back to Yoh's room, which was the last room at a dead-end hallway. Unless you were going to that specific room, there was no reason for anyone to be traveling in the direction the both of them were. "I'm bringing food to my friend, he's not feeling well."

The girl narrowed her eyes and asked, "Asakura Yoh, right? Knowing him, he's just slacking off and taking it easy with no real injuries." The girl said no more as she turned around and headed off to Yoh's room.

"Wait for me!" Kagome called out before jogging to catch up with the mysterious girl that somehow knew her best friend. She did not seem like a bad person or like she had any ill intentions… But just who was she anyway?

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Yoh and Manta smiled when the door opened slightly and Kagome poked her head inside. "Yoohhhh-kun! You have a visitor!" she announced cheerfully.

"A visitor?" Manta asked curiously. "Who could that be?" he asked as he looked over at Yoh. Yoh only shrugged and shook his head.

"Look who came to see you!" Kagome said as she stepped aside to reveal another girl standing in the doorway.

"Really Yoh, being lazy and carefree, the future will be rough," she stated as she looked up at Yoh.

The brown haired shaman almost fell out of his bed at the sight of the girl. He laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head and said, "oh… hi, Anna."

"Um, excuse me, but who is that girl?" asked Manta curiously.

Anna looked down at Manta and said so casually and rudely that it was a shame. "Shut it, dumpling."

Manta's face flushed from anger, 'du… dumpling?!' he growled. "So how do you know each other?" he asked.

"Anna-san came a long way to see Yoh-kun so they must be-" Kagome began.

"C-Childhood friends," Yoh said shakily. Kagome nodded knowingly…

"His fiancée," Anna corrected.

"Oh, his fiancée… That makes sense," Kagome nodded some more…

…Amidamaru, Kagome, Manta paused for a moment…"FIANCEE?!" the three of them chorused in unison.

"Is that true, Yoh-kun?" Kagome asked in an almost horrified tone. Somehow she wanted him to say it was a lie, but Anna did not seem like the type to lie about such a thing.

"Y-Yeah…" Yoh replied in a nervous tone. "It's true." He stated.

Anna then turned to Manta and said, "I'm thirsty and I like bitter melon juice." Manta's eye twitched when she casually took the juice Kagome bought for him and opened it.

"Anna-san sure is interesting," Kagome whispered to Yoh as she went over to his bed. And by interesting, she meant bossy.

"Maybe I should run away…" Yoh under his breath.

"You can't do that!" Kagome whispered harshly. "Anna-san might take her rage out on us."

"I'll pretend I'm dying then." Yoh concluded while he laid on his back, but somehow he could not keep a straight face through it all.

She sighed as she leaned over Yoh to fluff his pillow, unknowingly putting her chest in his face. Yoh blushed and looked turned his head to side to save Kagome's modesty. "You can't do that, Anna-san seems scary as it is when she's calm; I can't imagine how she is when she's angry."

Yoh almost sobbed, "You're telling me. All of my memories of her end with me crying…"

Anna turned her attention from Manta and her juice and gave Kagome and Yoh a disapprovingly look. "What are two doing over there?" she asked suspiciously. "Yoh, your injuries don't look serious at all."

Kagome turned to Anna with a fake smile, "actually, Yoh-kun just went through a lot. He hasn't had time to properly heal and rest so-"

"It's because you coddling him that he's gotten away with slacking off," Anna cut in. "That ends today because Yoh will start my Special Training Program." She stated firmly.

Kagome's face flushed with both anger and embarrassment, "I-I do not coddle him!" She fought back the urge to yell at Anna. "Anna-san, you're being unfair!"

"Birds of feather flock together I suppose," Anna concluded while crossing her arms. "A true shaman knows that you can not become stronger by sitting around and doing nothing."

"Birds of a feather?!" Kagome and Manta cried in unison. "We're nothing like him!"

Yoh laughed and scratched his head, "that was almost insulting…"

"If that's so then you won't get in the way of Yoh's training," Anna said. "If you do, then he'll die."

"He'll… die?" Manta and Kagome asked slowly.

"At his current state, Yoh stands no chance against the millions of other shamans gathering up around the world to be Shaman King," Anna explained. "A human's full potential is only brought out in a dire situation; therefore, fighting is the only way to discern who is qualified to be Shaman King."

"You mean there will be more guys like Tao Ren?" Kagome asked.

Anna nodded and Yoh smiled nervously, "but I have my own way of-!"

"Your way is not good enough! You'll never survive the shaman fights in Tokyo!" Anna yelled as she got in Yoh's face. "You have to win and become Shaman King!"

Manta worked up the nerve to ask, "But Anna, why do you want Yoh to become Shaman King so badly?"

"Idiot, isn't it obvious?" Anna asked. "Yoh will be my husband and I want to be the Shaman King's First Lady." She said. "And then I'll get to live an easy life!"

Kagome and Manta anime fell, both thinking, 'they're both the same on the inside!'

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

It had been a week since Kagome and Manta had met Anna and they had seen her since she dragged Yoh out of the hospital to start his special training. They got to see Yoh during school, but after school he had to miss hanging out and head straight home or Anna would torture Amidamaru. Kagome sighed as she and Manta walked home together. For some reason, things were still awkward between them… A few times she felt like asking Manta how telling about the class representative's feelings for him made him so uncomfortable with her… But she always decided not to. The silence between them was unnerving because they both had things to say but-

"Hey Kagome-chan," Manta said. "I was thinking of visiting Yoh-kun today, want to come with me?" he asked a bit nervously.

Sesshomaru appeared and stated, "Yes. Kagome will visit Yoh today to observe Anna's training methods."

Kagome stopped walking and turned to face her primary spirit. "Don't tell me you want me to train the way Yoh is?!"

"Of course," Sesshomaru nodded. "If you are going to be my partner then you will need to train hard to become stronger."

"But I…" Kagome scratched her cheek. "Sorta had plans for today."

"You are going," Sesshomaru replied sternly, leaving no room for argument. With that said, Sesshomaru disappeared as fast as he appeared.

Both Kagome and Manta sweat dropped at the demonic spirit's antics and the short boy pointed out, "it looks like Sesshomaru is calling all the shots."

Kagome huffed before quickly snatching Manta's hand and dragging him off to Yoh's house. "Humph, the nerve of that guy~!" she began.

"Um, Kagome-chan…" Manta tried to interrupt.

"Even in death he has a superiority complex! I mean, geez, can I have a brain for myself?!"

"Kagome-chan, will you please liste-!"

"He's always looking over my shoulder, Manta-kun! Judging everything I do! Once he even critiqued the way I scrubbed myself in the shower~!"

Manta snatched his hand away and yelled, "will you stop and listen for a second?!"

"Eh… What is it?" asked Kagome, embarrassed that she just ranted Manta's head off.

Manta sighed and pointed in the opposite direction, "Yoh-kun's house is that way!"

"…Oh."

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

"Wow, it's huge!" Kagome exclaimed when they stopped in front of a house that could be mistaken for a mansion. It was a traditional Japanese style house, but it was twice the size of Kagome's house and was encompassed with a large wooden gate with a grand pair of doors in the front. "I could probably get lost just in the yard."

"Do they really need all of this just to house one family?" Manta asked curiously as Kagome knocked on one of the two large doors. The door immediately creaked open and out fell an exhausted Yoh who fell into Kagome's arms.

"Ah! Yoh-kun!" Kagome and Manta shrieked in unison.

"Are you alright?" Kagome asked fearfully, he was pretty limb. "You gained a lot of weight."

Yoh slowly lifted his head and he moaned, "Kagome-chan… Help… me…" Kagome screamed at Yoh's almost zombified face.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

"You scared us for a second Yoh," Manta said. "But I guess I can't blame you… Having to run fifty kilometers wearing these heavy weights…" The three of them were resting in the shade of Yoh's back porch.

"Anna's training is deadly," Yoh moaned. "The only break I get is at school and I still have to pay attention and do gym there too!"

"But you always sleep through school anyway," Kagome stated unsympathetically.

"You're too cruel, Kagome-chan!" Yoh exclaimed. "You have to rescue me or I'll die!" He melodramatically plopped over on his side and wrapped his arms around Kagome's waist, causing her to blush fiercely.

"Yoh-kun, this is so inappropriate!" Kagome protested, trying to shake him off her. "Manta-kun! Don't just stand there! Get him off me!" she yelled as she went red as a tomato.

Manta then latched onto Yoh and tried pulling him off, "Kagome-chan is right! You have a fiancée after all! And Anna-san will get mad!"

"Noooooo! You can't just abandon me!"

"Ahhhh, stop! This is so embarrassing!"

"Yoh-kun, it's not that serious!"

"SAVE ME!"

"HELP ME!"

"STOP IT!!!"

On cue, Anna came out to the back to find Yoh on his knees with arms wrapped tightly around Kagome who had her hand on his face trying to get him off her and Manta latched to Yoh's leg being swung back and forth and not really helping. "What's going on back here?" Anna asked. The sound of her voice made all three of them freeze in place.

"Uhhh, hi Anna," they said in unison, all staring at the blond with wide eyes.

"You," Anna said as she pointed at Yoh. "Stop fooling around and get back to training. Since you're so comfortable with twenty-five pound weights, I guess I'll switch them with the fifty pound ones." Anna then looked at Manta and stated, "you, dumpling, you're going to make yourself useful and wax the floors, they're filthy." Kagome stiffened when Anna looked at her next, "and since you're going to be living here from now, you might as well cook dinner."

The saucy girl turned around and began to walk away, "chop to it!"

Yoh then fell over and almost cried just thinking about his new training, "fifty… fifty pound weights…"

Manta's eye twitched as he resisted to yell, "…dumpling? Why does she keep calling me that?"

Kagome was stupefied, "I'm… I'm going to be living here from now on…?"

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Kagome smiled when Manta and Yoh came to join her at the kotatsu. "Looks like Kagome-chan finished first after all," Manta stated to Yoh. He then sighed tiredly and grumbled, "Anna-san made me scrub then wax all the floors in the house."

"She made me run another fifty kilometers with those fifty pound weights," Yoh said as he laid his down on the table lazily.

"She made me cook a feast and she didn't offer a lick of help," Kagome added with a slight pout. "And it turns out that Sesshomaru was sneaking behind my back and making deals with Anna-san… I have no clue what they have in store for me…"

"What should we do?" Yoh asked Kagome, hoping she would say they should run away. It was what he would have done… If Anna did not constantly have custody of poor Amidamaru.

"Nothing," Kagome replied which deflated Yoh. "I'm kind of grateful…" she smiled warmly. "Thanks to the both of them, I get to be with you all day everyday."

Manta and Yoh looked at each other and blinked at her statement. Kagome then realized how it sounded then blushed, "not that I plan on following you around everywhere! I mean we can have time apart if that's what you want!"

Manta and Yoh laughed at Kagome's rant, which made her blush even harder. "I-It's okay, Kagome-chan." Yoh said. "I like being with you too." Yoh blinked when Kagome's and Manta's eyes widened after he said that. "What?" he asked. Manta pointed a shaky finger and Yoh stiffened, "Anna's right behind me isn't she?"

"Mm hm…" Manta and Kagome nodded slowly.

Yoh turned around to find Anna giving him a stony yet blank stare. "I hope you like your training as much you like goofing off." Anna stated. Yoh smiled nervously, knowing that it was a hint that tomorrow's training was going to be more hectic than today's…. "I'm hungry." She looked at Kagome. "Did you finish dinner, dobe?"

"What?" Kagome asked quickly. "Dobe?!" Kagome's face flushed from anger. "I hope you weren't referring to me!!!"

"Of course I was," Anna replied. "I call them as I see them. And according your spirit, you have a long way to go before you even reach Yoh's current level."

Kagome growled like a tiger then took a deep breath, 'she's Yoh-kun's fiancée… So she must be a good person. She's Yoh-kun's fiancée… So she must be a good person… She must be… She must be…'

Kagome suddenly beamed at Anna radiantly and said, "You're right, I do have a long way to go." Yoh and Manta stepped out of her way as she left the room to retrieve tonight's meal…

"She's mad," Yoh said.

"Yeah, really mad." Manta agreed.

(That Night…)

Kagome sighed as she exited the bathroom. She ended up having to borrow one of Anna's night robes because she did not know that she would be staying at the Asakura residence. It was kind of tight in certain places, but it would have to do until tomorrow when she retrieved her belongings from her house.

For some reason, she did not want to wear it though. She did not want to feel like she owed Anna anything… She did not hate Anna… Did she? Whenever the spiritual medium was around, she acted so pompously and bossily and she bad mouthed everyone and- Kagome shook her head. 'We just met, I can't just judge her as a bad person…' the young shaman thought to herself. And then there was the fact that Anna was Yoh's fiancée… The thought of that made her feel so… so… Bad. Kagome was so deep in thought that she did not see the other person walking her way. 'Am I worried that Anna-san will get in the way of the three of us…?' That could not be it-

"Ugh. Watch it, dobe," the person Kagome walked into said rudely.

"Oh, I'm…" Kagome began to say. Then her eyes met with Anna's, the emotions in those dark eyes made Kagome gasp softly. What was it in her eyes? Was it the same thing that she felt? "Sorry."

"Whatever," Anna muttered, dismissing the whole accident all together. She continued past Kagome without another word.

Kagome did not why but she twirled around and called out, "Anna-san!"

Hearing her name, Anna stopped and turned around completely to face Kagome. "What is it now?" she asked impatiently. It was already late at night and all the lights were turned out.

Kagome shook her head and said, "um, good night."

Anna nodded but did not bid Kagome a good night back. Kagome sighed and continued on her way back to her room to retire for the night… She had the feeling there would be a lot of things happening from this day forward…

**Chapter 5: The Great Dog Demon and the Chinese Warrior**

**(Part II)**

**!ENDS!**

* * *

Authoress' Notes: Thanks for reading everyday! I'm so happy that I still have a few faithful readers and reviewers! You guys got me hyped up to finish this chapter quickly. And yay, Anna has made her appearance. I just hope I didn't write her too of character. :(

Look forward to more Ren in the next chapter, and maybe even Jun, no promises though! (It depends on how much will fit within twenty pages) Hm, and oh yes, look forward to some Anna and Kagome jealousy and then… girl bonding time… maybe. (If it all fits in) I might go for twenty-five to thirty pages if you guys are good :D

Alrighties, the next thing to be updated is _Coming to the Light_ of course. I miss my Light-kun! *sparkly, flowery background* Light-kun! Light-kun! *swoons* I'm such a Light fangirl. x3 Curse Kagome-chan for being a good match for almost anyone!

Anyway, polls for pairings will end in chapter ten! So get them in everyone! (Polls in my profile are also added to this) And wow, Ren is matching Yoh in my profile poll! By the way, I delete the old polls and post news with each chapter so you can send in another vote, so keep them coming!

Yoh/Kagome- 61 (In the lead. People are worried about Anna. So am I. But I have a plan, I'll let you in on it in chapter ten though)

Pro-Harem/Kagome- 50 (Not surprised, the canon Kagome is always in a harem of some sorts)

Anti-Harem/Kagome-1 (Nothing really to say about this one)

No one/Kagome– 1 (Ooooo…kay) O_x

Ren/Kagome- 29 (I'm actually becoming of big fan of this pairing, uguu, someone write one of these ttooo!)

Hao/Kagome- 32 (2nd place, not including the harem as a pairing, Ren is closing in)

Horo Horo/Kagome- 6 (Poor Horo Horo, he's got hardly love)

Anna/Hao- 1 (This is probably someone who wants Yoh/Kagome lol)

Lyserg/Kagome- 5 (Lyserg is kinda cute, but it'll be a while until he comes into the picture, keep voting though)

R&R!


	7. A Corpse Cries! Tao Jun & Li Bailong!

Authoress Notes: Uhhh... yeah. It's been a long time huh? (crickets chirp) Woah... Awkward... O_x It's about time for some subtle Ren/Kag action

Special Chapter Dedication to: All of you! I can't point out anyone specific because all you faithful reviewers have been awesome! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King or Inuyasha and claim no rights to them but I DO own this fan fiction story.

* * *

_**Previously on Shaman King…**_

_"What should we do?" Yoh asked Kagome, hoping she would say they should run away. It was what he would have done… If Anna did not constantly have custody of poor Amidamaru._

_"Nothing," Kagome replied which deflated Yoh. "I'm kind of grateful…" she smiled warmly. "Thanks to the both of them, I get to be with you all day everyday."_

_Manta and Yoh looked at each other and blinked at her statement. Kagome then realized how it sounded then blushed, "not that I plan on following you around everywhere! I mean we can have time apart if that's what you want!"_

_Manta and Yoh laughed at Kagome's rant, which made her blush even harder. "I-It's okay, Kagome-chan." Yoh said. "I like being with you too." Yoh blinked when Kagome's and Manta's eyes widened after he said that. "What?" he asked. Manta pointed a shaky finger and Yoh stiffened, "Anna's right behind me isn't she?"_

_"Mm hm…" Manta and Kagome nodded slowly._

_Yoh turned around to find Anna giving him a stony yet blank stare. "I hope you like your training as much you like goofing off." Anna stated. Yoh smiled nervously, knowing that it was a hint that tomorrow's training was going to be more hectic than today's…. "I'm hungry." She looked at Kagome. "Did you finish dinner, dobe?"_

_"What?" Kagome asked quickly. "Dobe?!" Kagome's face flushed from anger. "I hope you weren't referring to me!!!"_

_"Of course I was," Anna replied. "I call them as I see them. And according your spirit, you have a long way to go before you even reach Yoh's current level."_

_Kagome growled like a tiger then took a deep breath, 'she's Yoh-kun's fiancée… So she must be a good person. She's Yoh-kun's fiancée… So she must be a good person… She must be… She must be…'_

_Kagome suddenly beamed at Anna radiantly and said, "You're right, I do have a long way to go." Yoh and Manta stepped out of her way as she left the room to retrieve tonight's meal…_

_"She's mad," Yoh said._

_"Yeah, really mad." Manta agreed._

_(That Night…)_

_Kagome sighed as she exited the bathroom. She ended up having to borrow one of Anna's night robes because she did not know that she would be staying at the Asakura residence. It was kind of tight in certain places, but it would have to do until tomorrow when she retrieved her belongings from her house._

_For some reason, she did not want to wear it though. She did not want to feel like she owed Anna anything… She did not hate Anna… Did she? Whenever the spiritual medium was around, she acted so pompously and bossily and she bad mouthed everyone and- Kagome shook her head. 'We just met, I can't just judge her as a bad person…' the young shaman thought to herself. And then there was the fact that Anna was Yoh's fiancée… The thought of that made her feel so… so… Bad. Kagome was so deep in thought that she did not see the other person walking her way. 'Am I worried that Anna-san will get in the way of the three of us…?' That could not be it-_

_"Ugh. Watch it, dobe," the person Kagome walked into said rudely._

_"Oh, I'm…" Kagome began to say. Then her eyes met with Anna's, the emotions in those dark eyes made Kagome gasp softly. What was it in her eyes? Was it the same thing that she felt? "Sorry."_

_"Whatever," Anna muttered, dismissing the whole accident all together. She continued past Kagome without another word._

_Kagome did not why but she twirled around and called out, "Anna-san!"_

_Hearing her name, Anna stopped and turned around completely to face Kagome. "What is it now?" she asked impatiently. It was already late at night and all the lights were turned out._

_Kagome shook her head and said, "um, good night."_

_Anna nodded but did not bid Kagome a good night back. Kagome sighed and continued on her way back to her room to retire for the night… She had the feeling there would be a lot of things happening from this day forward__**...**_

**Chapter 7: A Corpse Cries!**

**Tao Jun & Li Bailong!!!**

Day in and day out for the past month it had been the same routine; Kagome hated routines. Wake up. Run fifty kilometers. Come home and exercise or spar with Yoh. Cook dinner. Bathe. Go to sleep only to wake up and restart it all again. There were only slight variations when Anna made Yoh or Manta cook dinner and on weekdays she and Yoh had to wake up extra early so they could run before school. And she thought they would get relief at school! Oh no- Anna had transferred into their class! Their lunch was no longer spent basking in the sun, sharing home-made lunchboxes or cafeteria cuisine; Anna drove Kagome and Yoh to the field to exercise more or the track to run more. And P.E. only made matters worse. Life in the Asakura mansion was not as fun as she had expected.

Kagome sighed as she wrapped a mellow yellow towel around her developing body and then wrapped her long hair into a wavy ponytail. At least there was one thing she could look forward to every night... Kagome exited the changing area and stepped outside into the outdoor hotspring. The water was bubbling hot so much that it was not translucent like normal water. It was like having her own natural jaccuzi! Kagome smiled fondly at the bath as she neared the edge of the water. There was something about a nice, hot bath that soothed her soul... The teenage girl absently stuck her big toe in the water and splashed a bit. Yes... It was nice to be able to-

"Don't act so childishly. You'll disturb my bath," a familiar, pompous voice stated.

Kagome flushed slightly upon spotting Anna entering the bath as well, with a light pink towel wrapped around body. "A-Anna-san!" she could not help but exclaim. Kagome held in a disappointed sighed and stated casually," fancy meeting you here."

"There's nothing special about bathing with you," was Anna's response. "A bath by myself is far more desirable." she added while lowering herself into the water and closed her eyes to relax.

Kagome groaned and retorted," as if I like this any more than you do!!!" At the beginning, Kagome had promised herself to not let Anna get a rise out of her. But this girl... This girl really knew how to push her buttons! "Anna-san, you're not much of a companion yourself!!!"

Anna opened one eye and glared at Kagome with it. "If you don't like it then you're welcome to join Yoh and the midget on the otherside." With that said, Anna closed the lone, glaring eye.

Kagome blushed and gasped indignantly. "As if I'd do something like that!!! What kind of girl do you take me for?!" she yelled back, with her hands balled into fists of anger.

"Hmph," Anna turned away from Kagome, exposing her back to the other girl; as if Kagome was not worthy of a face-to-face talk. Anna leaned against the edge where the water meet land and laid her arms down on it and rested her head. "You're way too noisy... quick-tempered... weak in the body... soft in the heart..." Anna listed coldly and callously. "Higurashi... You're a shrine maiden that aspires to be a shaman. But you're unfit to be either of the two. You're far too weak and not motivated by anything but boys." Kagome totally froze at hearing Anna's words; her breath held all the time that she was listening. Somehow, Anna's words cut her deep.

There was a silence between the two of them; a silence that Kagome did not like. It was an odd silence. It was not the silence of a victory or defeat; nor was it awkward. What was it...?

Anna then slowly peered at Kagome from over her shoulder. "Did you know...? Yoh's mother was a priestess."

Kagome's heart jumped at hearing that. For unknown reasons, it hurt so much that this was news to her. It hurt to know that Anna knew so much about Yoh that she did not.

"At your current level, you're a disgrace." Anna announced. "You will not be able to achieve Hyoi Gattai with Sesshomaru successfully again. And without Yoh around, you'd surely die."

Kagome's fist tightened even more and she retorted in an attempt to defend herself, "that's why I'm not running away from all of this training! I want to become stronger so I won't have to rely on Yoh-kun to protect me all of the time! I already know that I'm not strong enough to be worth of Sesshomaru! I already know that I can't do anything on my own yet! Against someone like Tao Ren..." Kagome trailed off for a moment. "I know I'm nothing." she added softly and resentfully.

There. She admitted it. Now what? Her dignity and confidence had just been shot down.

"I understand," Anna replied.

"Huh?" was all Kagome could say.

"I am fully aware of your goals..." Anna clearified. "Ultimately, you want to become stronger so you can be a great shaman. But until then, you'll be relying solely on Sesshomaru's- no. On Yoh's strength. Even at his current level, not even Yoh has a chance of surviving the Shaman Fights in Tokyo ." The blond said. "Higurashi, tell me... Is that what you want? To be a burden?" she inquired sharply but curiously.

Kagome glared at Anna this time. "Of course not! Who would?!" she asked. "Anna-san, I don't care what you think of me! But I won't have you bad mouthing everything I believe in!" she shot back. "You're just went and pointed out all of my flaws and weakness, the things that I'm self-conscious about!!! But you know what?! You're the same as me!"

Anna turned around completely this time and looked Kagome in the eye, but did not glare. "The same as you?" she questioned almost incredulously.

"Yeah!" Kagome stated. "You're just as human I am! You have your flaws like I have mine! You're bossy and arrogant! You don't do a lick of work but always dish out the chores to everyone else! And then you act so coldly to Yoh-kun, like you don't care but-" Kagome caught herself. Did she just have an epiphany...?

Anna narrowed her eyes at Kagome. "...But what?"

"But..." Kagome did not want to admit it but... But...

"You do." Kagome finally finished. "You do care," she re-stated with more confidence.

"Hmph," Anna said with no reply to Kagome's statement. "So, Higurashi... You hate me?"

Kagome was not expecting that question. She had only known Anna for a month and she still did not know much about her besides from her "interesting" personality.

"No," Kagome replied simply. "I don' t hate you... How can I?" she did not know what they were talking about anymore or why they were talking about it in the first place... "Do you hate me?" she asked back. It only seemed right to ask Anna that.

"...I don't hate you." Anna replied as she rose up from the bath and hoisted herself onto land. "I'm leaving now." She turned around and went back into the changing area. "I knew that your childishness would disturb my bath. I can't even bath in peace." With that said, Anna disappeared behind the door flaps and inside the changing room.

Kagome sighed and looked at the ground before finally entering the bath... 'Anna-san... I can't bathe in peace now either...' she thought to herself.

(The Next Morning...)

It was a Sunday morning. Kagome and Yoh were preparing for their daily run. As Kagome strapped down the velcro on her white running shoes, Yoh slipped on his sandals. He looked up at her face and noticed that Kagome was not as bright as she usually was in the morning. "Kagome-chan, are you alright?" he asked. "Did you get enough sleep last night?"

Kagome nodded affirmatively to both questions with a single nod. "Yeah, I just... I'm just not feeling one hundred percent today." Before Yoh could reply to the statement, they looked over at Anna, who also slipped on her sandals. She was dressed in her usually attire, but today she had a pink purse slipped over her shoulder.

"You going out?" Yoh asked curiously.

"I'm going to wander around for a bit," she replied. "You two better not slack off on your training."

"We knnowww," Yoh moaned back.

Anna tied her red scarf around her head and shot Kagome a sharp look from over her shoulder. "Especially you, dobe."

"Stop calling me!!!"

"It seems you've gotten a bit too comfortable with your current weights. You'll find fifteen pound weights in the storage room." Anna stated to Kagome. "Rejoice, dobe. You get to wear what Yoh is wearing now." As she walked out of the door Anna added," be sure to change the weights before you leave."

Yoh laughed nervously at the horrified expression on his best friend's face. "Now you get to suffer on the same level as I do, Kagome-chan," he pointed out.

"Anna-san just did that to torture me!" Kagome exclaimed. "I am definitely not comfortable with these ten pound weights, and now she goes and adds another five pounds!!!"

"Don't worry, Kagome-chan," Yoh stated easily. "It'll all pay off in the future because you'll become even stronger this way."

"...Un... I guess you're right." Kagome admitted easily. She had known that all along.

With Kagome's new weights, the two had set off on the usual course, where they meet up with Manta near the park and he rode on his bicycle while they ran... Well, Yoh jogged, while Kagome attempted to run, but caught in a sort of stride between the level of jogging and skipping. She had to force her feet to push off the ground with each step. This weight was... almost unbearable. It was far too obvious that Yoh greatly slowed his pace to match hers; though that was not a problem for him since it gave him a reason to slack off a bit anyway.

"Mou... Anna-san must have something against you, Kagome-chan," Manta pointed out. "It's obvious that you're not ready for these weights, but she went and made you wear them anyway... Did you two get into a fight or something?" he asked.

Kagome gasped inwardly and came to an abrupt halt. Manta had hit the nail on the head.

Yoh looked at Kagome worriedly," you two are getting along, aren't you?" he asked.

"So you _did _fight!" Manta said, Kagome's silence confirming his hunch. "About what?!"

Kagome sighed and offered her best friends a forced smile. "We did have a small altercation last night. But it wasn't anything too big." she stated. "Or else you would have heard it..." she explained. "Right?" she asked with a brilliant smile.

"I... guess so..." Manta agreed reluctantly.

"You two," Yoh suddenly said, alerting Kagome and Manta. "Look over there!" He pointed down the street to a female spirit, who was pointing to the right.

"That's one of the people that haunt your house, Yoh-kun!" Manta exclaimed.

"It looks like Anna-san wants us to change course," Kagome stated.

Yoh moaned at this, "awww, this probably means we have to run farther today!"

And so the three of them followed the spirit until sunset, where she lead them down a slope to a river bank and then disappeared. By this time, Yoh was stooped over panting heavily and Kagome simply collapsed to her knees, gasping for air. "T-That was true torture!" Kagome stated and Yoh nodded in agreement. They had been running literally from early noon until now, when the sky was a mixture of pink and orange swirls and the water appeared to sparkle golden from the sun's reflection on it.

"That Anna..." Yoh groaned. "Why'd she pick this place? I hope she doesn't plan for us to swim across..."

"Knowing her, I wouldn't be surprised," Manta stated, even he, who had been biking it the entire time, was panting heavily from exhaustion.

"You guys look!" Kagome suddenly exclaimed. She was looking in the direction of a black van in which three men dressed in dark cloaks with talismans over them were staring them gravely as they stepped out of the van, facing the three teenagers.

"Who the hell are they?!" Manta inquired, frighten. Suddenly the men jumped ten feet into the air while ripping off their dark cloaks, revealing three Chinese warriors. From the air, the men lunged suddenly lunged at the three of them.

"Move out of the way, you two!" Yoh shouted at Kagome and Manta without taking his eyes off of them. The young shaman could not move out of the way to dodge an attack from the men who unleashed an excruciating attack with nun chucks.

"Yoh-kun!!!" Manta and Kagome called out from the sidelines before running over to their fallen friend. The said boy sat up shakily and began to take the weights off his arms and legs.

"Yoh-kun, we should run!" Manta said worriedly. "You're far too exhausted from all the running to fight back."

"I'm too tired to run anymore," Yoh replied as he slowly got to his feet. "I'm gonna have to fight." Suddenly Amidamaru appeared at his side. "So Anna finally let you go?" he asked his partner. Amidamaru nodded solemnly.

"And just where have you been all day?!" Kagome pouted when Sesshomaru appeared before her. "I'm sure Anna-san wasn't holding you captive."

"Just be grateful that I came to your rescue," the demonic spirit responded callously without even humoring his partner's question.

"To my rescue? Don't you mean to my aid?" Kagome asked, annoyed. "Some partner you are." she added in a deadpanned tone.

"We fight." Sesshomaru stated. "Remove your weights." he commanded, leaving no room for argument. Kagome groaned at her spirit's attitude and quickly moved her weights and awed at how much lighter her body felt.

The three men then started their attacks again, this time Kagome did not run to the sidelines with Manta. She had been too busy being amazed at how great she felt to even feel any fear. Both she and Yoh easily dodged the attacks from the men. "Wow, do we even need to do Hyoi Gattai for this fight, Yoh-kun?" Kagome asked.

Yoh grinned at her while dodging another swing of a nunchuck and replied teasing," now, now. Let's not get too cocky."

"What about you? You're the one grinning like an idiot during a fight." Kagome replied while ducking under a kick from one man.

"Time to finish this," Yoh said. He quickly merged with Amidamaru and picked up a conveniently fallen metal pole from off of the ground.

"Every time there's a fight, there always seem to be a pole lying around," Kagome pointed out as she avoided yet another attack from the Chinese warrior.

"We're not complaining!!!" Yoh and Amidamaru shouted in unison as they swung the pole, bashing two of the men across the ribs and taking them out in a single sweep.

"That's so not far!" Kagome exclaimed as she continued to receive a barrage of attacks from her opponent. "I can't merge with Sesshomaru like that yet!"

"Oh..." Yoh said, as he wached Kagome continue to swirve out of the way of each attack. "Do you want us to help?"

That was when Anna's critical face came to her mind.

_"Ultimately, you want to become stronger so you can be a great shaman. But until then, you'll be relying solely on Sesshomaru's- no. On Yoh's strength. Even at his current level, not even Yoh has a chance of surviving the Shaman Fights in Tokyo . Higurashi, tell me... Is that what you want? To be a burden?"_

"Grrr...!!!" Kagome suddenly stopped moving entirely, her aura flaming and she growled furiously.

"Kagome-chan, what are you going?!" Manta called out, concerned as he watched the strange man charge at the girl, who made no signal of retreating or moving at all.

"Yoh-kun, I'm sorry but..." Kagome whispered, her voice shaky with a sudden rage. "When you said that just now..." The man was now just a bit beyond arm's distance from her as he drew his nunchuck in an upward position above his head in preparation to bash the girl's head in. "You really just _pissed_ me **OFF**!!!" All of the spectators watched in shock as the girl drew back her fist and punch the man square in the chest when he got close enough. No one missed the pink light that surrounded the offending fist that made direct contact with the man and instantly sent him flying backwards.

"Eh-" It had surprised even herself. She could not help but apologize to the fallen man, though the apology fell onto deaf ears. She has just gotten so angry when she heard Anna's voice in her and head and she then-!

...Whoops.

At least she won.

Manta stared with wide eyes at the man that lied motionlessly on the ground a few feet in front of him. He did not notice until now but when the men were defeated, their bodies faded into nothingness as the talisman placed upon them shredded into tiny pieces. 'D-Did she just...?'

"Kagome-chan, that was impressive!" Yoh grinned upon approaching her. He then scratched his cheek a bit, a habit he picked up from the said girl herself, "but I think you went a bit overload with the punch though." He could not help but add.

"Looks like all of that training is starting to pay off," Manta said casually as he ran up to the two shamans.

"Yeah..." Kagome whispered while staring down at her hand, which still felt so hot from the energy that gathered into it. "...I guess I'm getting stronger..."

(That Night...)

"Anna-san, don't you think that's a bit much?!" Kagome asked worriedly while rubbing a sobbing Yoh's back. "Poor Yoh-kun is still having enough trouble with the fifteen pound weights." she said.

"Y-Yeah! Trouble!" Yoh piped in miserably as he attempted to lift up his arms, which were now weighted down by new weights.

Anna did not even bother to look at them as she munched on a cookie and watched television. "You don't think that I'd let Yoh continue to wear those weights after I'd given them to you, did you dobe? Since you're now wearing fifteen pound weights, Yoh gets to upgrade to twenty-two pound ones. I can't have you on the same level as him. It's as simple as that."

"What is that supposed to mean?!" Kagome asked indignantly. She did not know whether that was an insult to her or an insult to Yoh!

"Now, now..." Manta said soothingly while patting Kagome's leg.

"My number one priority is to train Yoh to become strong so he can become Shaman King, and I can become his First Lady." Anna stated. "I can't have you become a threat to his chances," she said shamelessly.

"B-But Anna, there's no way Kagome-chan and I would ever fight over something like that!" Yoh said, trying to reason to his fiancée.

"Yoh, no more complaining and excuses from you..." Anna stated sternly without taking her eyes off of the television. "Once you become Shaman King you can do anything you want with the world... and with me."

Kagome turned beet red at the last part of the statement that it seemed like only she caught. "W-What?!" The shaman-and-priestess-to-be would let that go without explanation, "is that supposed to be motivation for Yoh-kun or something?!" Yoh and Manta could only exchange confusing glances as they did not know what was going on now.

Anna looked over her shoulder at Kagome and replied, "No, more like something to look forward to." She then turned back to the television and continued, "But that shouldn't bother you at all. Yoh is going to be my husband after all. And you are only a friend, right?"

Kagome could not believe that Anna was rubbing it in her face just like that!!! But she had a point though. She did not have a reason to be upset about that... She and Yoh-kun were only friends... So... So... So something like that was not her business and it should have not matter to her what Anna and Yoh did when they got older and were married... It should not have bothered her...

But the fact was that it did! 'But why...?' Kagome wandered to herself wordlessly. All of her anger was forgotten at this point...

"Anyway, Yoh," Anna said. "I'm hungry. Dinner... Make it." Anna commanded.

Yoh's jaw dropped to the ground, "What?! After all that training and fighting today?!" Yoh then turned to give Manta and Amidamaru his most pitiful look, which they "innocently" looked away from and "did not notice".

'Don't give that look...' Manta thought to himself. It was hard; but he had to resist.

"Ka-go-me-ccchhaaannn!" Yoh sang in a zombified tone as he outstretched his hand toward her pleadingly. Unfortunately Kagome was not fast enough to look away and pretend not to see Yoh's pitiful, pleading look.

"But Yoh-kun-!" Kagome tried to get out it. But how could she think when he got on his instep and did a deep, traditional bow so that his forehead touched the floor. "I-I'm tired too and-" she tried to think. She tried to get out of it. Reason with him. But how could she resist him when he wrapped his arms and legs completely around her leg and rubbed his cheek against it, begging, pleading, and imploring her to bail him out of this one... Kagome blushed and pouted, she closed her eyes and looked away to hide her embarassment. "Fine!" she conceded. "Just... stop that."

Hearing this, Yoh plopped on to the floor and yawned lazily. "Saved." He whispered. "I owe you one, Kagome-chan."

"I know," she replied with a tender smile. Even though she was tired herself; Kagome could not help but smile upon seeing Yoh relax and wind down.

"Hmph, get to it then, dobe."

Anna had to ruin the moment.

After the day it was pretty much the exact same routine again; Kagome hated routines. Wake up. Run fifty kilometers. Come home and exercise or spar with Yoh. Cook dinner. Bathe. Go to sleep only to wake up and restart it all again. There were only slight variations when Anna made Yoh or Manta cook dinner and on weekdays she and Yoh had to wake up extra early so they could run before school.

But this particular Friday afternoon was a bit different from the ones before. When Kagome and Yoh met up with Manta in the park this day, Manta had paused in mid-stride to gawk admiringly at a movie poster. "Yoh-kun! Kagome-chan!" He said, halting the two in their run, "come look at this!!!"

The two complied and came to stare at the movie poster with theiry starry-eyed friend. On the cover of a poster were multiple shots of a well-built man in a variety of kung-fu fighting positions and with different sorts of weapons. "Li.... Bailong...? Wasn't he famous.... seventeen years ago...?" Kagome slowly asked, trying to recall who the actor on the poster was.

"Seventeen years?" Yoh inquired. "That was before I was even born!"

"Hai, hai!" Manta said excitedly, "the legend of Li Bailong still lives on historically today and it always will! Li Bailong is not only a great actor, but he is actually as strong as he is in the movies in reality! You guys should definitely see this movie! All three of us can watch it together!"

"But Anna would never give me money to see a movie..." Yoh stated, already defeated and bummed out.

"It does sound like fun though," Kagome stated. "Maybe I can scrounge up some money from my mom..."

They continued on their running, and all the way Manta told them all about Li Bailong non-stop. He even emphasized some points by trying to demonstration some of the greatests moves used by the kung-fu master. "And so, what do you think of him? Wouldn't it be helpful in Shaman Fights if you guys were to watch the movie and pick up some techniques?" Manta asked hopefully. He had spent the entire time telling his best friends of the amazing career of Li Bailong, his idol, and he hoped to convince them to see the movie with him.

"Shaman Fights are totally different from martial arts though." Yoh pointed out while continuing to concentrate on running at Kagome's pace.

"I guess so..." Manta replied disappointed.

Kagome gasped for air and said," guys, let's stop here for a sec." She stooped over and panted for air. Her throat was dry and burning and the more air that touched it, the drier it became. And the muscles in her arms and legs pounded and pulsed. "So anyway..." Kagome said between breaths. "Continue, Manta-kun."

Yoh looked down at Manta and asked," Manta, why do you want us to see that movie so much?"

"..." Manta looked to the ground and bit his lip. "Because..." he began, "because you two are my best friends, and I want you guys to know... about the things that I like."

"I see..." Yoh said with a smile, as he just built a resolve. "I guess asking Anna for some money won't hurt."

"Oh I doubt that," Kagome said with a nervous yet joking laugh.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Kagome sweatdropped.

So this was the brilliant plan they came up with?

...

While Yoh and Kagome sat around the table eating lunch, Anna was munching on cookies again and watching television, Amidamaru and Sesshomaru were sitting near their partners, while Manta talked about the greatness of Li Bailong some more. It was half Yoh's plan, half Manta's plan. They hoped that Anna overhead Manta's tales of Li Bailong would be amazed by Li Bailong's greatness and give Yoh money to see the movie... Kagome sighed as she put some rice into her head. She had expected a bit more from Manta. But she guessed he was too desperate to think of anything good.

"And after traveling across the world, learning all the different types of martial arts. Li Bailong created his own Kung Fu called Daodan Do, but it's just call Daodan in China ! It's said to be the most powerful martial art in the world. In other words, it has the same destructive power of missiles!" Manta said with his pointer finger sticking straight up, "knowledgably".

"No." Anna said straightforwardly without even looking away from the television. "I won't give you any money to see movies."

"Whhaaaattt?!" the trio of friends exclaimed in unison, not that Kagome was surprised anyway.

"Got a problem with that?" Anna asked.

"A-Anyway..." Manta continued shakily. "Daodan's purpose was not to defeat the enemy, but to Li Bailong created it to understand himself through martial arts and to find the greatest things in the world..."

"And what exactly is that supposed to be?" Kagome asked, tilting her head to the side a bit.

Before Manta had the chance to respond, Anna asked, "what are you doing, dobe? Because he's weak, he unconsciously admires the strong. Admiration is stronger the more far fetched it is."

Kagome patted Manta's shoulder comfortingly when he suddenly sat depressed in the corner of the room. "I guess it is far fetched..." Manta stated.

"You shouldn't get depressed over just words or else you won't be able to keep up with anyone," Yoh said.

"Yeah, cheer up, Manta-kun," Kagome added with a sweet smile.

"But still..." Manta said. "It's sort of true because before he could complete Daodan, Li Bailong suddenly mysteriously died... And his body even disappeared during the funeral. It remains a mystery even now." Manta explained, completely forgetting about his depression and Anna's words.

"A dead body... disappeared?" Anna inquired. Kagome blinked, absently wondering why Anna's interest would suddenly become peaked by that.

"...So, is it okay then?" Kagome asked.

"I'll go too." Anna stated while standing.

"EEEhhhh?!" Kagome and Manta chorused.

Yoh only smiled upon finishing his lunch and said cheerfully," alright, then we'll all go together!!!"

(After the Movie)

By the time they exited the movie theater, night had fallen long ago. Yoh stretched while grinning like a fool and proclaimed excitedly," Wow! That Li Bailong really is amazing!!!"

Manta immediately got pumped up too and balled up his fists," he is, isn't he?! Charging into the criminal bases all by himself, and he's so cool!!!"

Kagome sweat dropped and clapped embarrassedly when her friends reenacted their favorite scene from the movie in perfect unison. "Don't make me laugh!" Yoh and Manta said coolly with crossed arms. "Taste my fury!" they suddenly yelled when performing different moves and martial arts stances from the movie.

"What idiots," Anna mumbled while looking away and pretending not to see them.

"For once, I'm with you on this one," Kagome stated but she hid her embarrassment with a smile. Not that anyone was in the theater with them, or even outside. It was not that she did not enjoy the movie, but for some reason, her best friends acting like kids were just too much. 'Oh well, I guess we are still kids...'

"I have a new found respect for you then." Anna replied.

Amidamaru piped in with his opinion," I've never seen a movie before, but I must admit that I was truly touched by Li Bailong's strength and bravery. He truly was a great warrior."

"That human was less than impressive," Sesshomaru said when Amidamaru turned to him, looking for his opinion.

The samurai spirit scratched the back of his head and inquired with an embarassed laugh," Really...? I thought he was great." Sesshomaru did not even dignify Amidamaru's opinion with another response, which deflated the samurai spirit. He sighed aloud and his shoulders slumped greatly while bowing his head... Somehow, he felt a lot less cool when Sesshomaru was around and he wanted to look cool and mature in front of Yoh but-

Kagome smiled and patted the samurai on the back,"Oh, don't worry about that guy! Sesshomaru just thinks he's above everyone else. Don't think you have to act like him."

Yoh nodded as they began walking home," Yeah! You're already a thousand times cooler than Li Bailong!"

"Do you really think so, Yoh-dono?!" Amidamaru sobbed out his tears of joy.

"Of cour-! Oof!" Yoh had turned and looked over his shoulder for a split-second and suddenly he walked right into... something. Everyone was surprised to see more men like the ones from before assemble in front of them.

"Those are-!" Kagome gasped.

"Kyonshi..." Anna finished.

"I see, they're moving corpse puppets!" Manta exclaimed while unconsciously taking a step back. This time there was a good thirteen to fifteen of them and they had steel claws attached their hands.

Instantly Yoh put on his serious face and stated," You guys stay out of the way..."

"There's too many of them!" Manta retorted worriedly.

Kagome then turned to Sesshomaru as Yoh picked up a short metal pole and merged with Amidamaru. She latched onto her partner's long kimono sleeve and looked up at him with determined and yet pleading blue-gray eyes. "Sesshomaru, let's do it!"

"Pardon?"

"I've trained hard to become stronger for a while now! And we haven't tried merging since that incident with Tao Ren!" Kagome stated. "Shouldn't we start trying it again?!"

"You're still too weak," Sesshomaru replied with a tone that was so callous that it somehow it cut Kagome deep and she could nothing but concede to her partner...

The fight was over within a matter of seconds anyway. Yoh and Amidamaru quickly disposed of the corpse puppets.

Yoh grinned cheerfully as he walked back up to Kagome, Manta, and Anna. "I think I'm actually getting better at this," he stated.

Amidamaru appeared and agreed, "Definitely, I feel even stronger and merging with you much more comfortable and- Eh-?!"

Yoh, Manta, and Amidamaru grimaced at the silent but pissed look Kagome was giving Yoh and Amidamaru. She narrowed her eyes and said," no please, continue rubbing it in. I don't mind."

Their conversation was once again interrupted, but this time by a light applause that came from a young woman that was standing not too far from them, just out of the reach of light of the streetlamp. "It seems I great underestimated you by the way you handled that many Kyonshi alone. I apologize for that, but your performance was great, Asakura Yoh-kun!"

"Huh?!" Yoh's jaw dropped as he looked confusedly at the stranger who addressed him by his first name with an endearing honorific at the end. He then raised his hands defensively, silently protesting innocence when both Anna and Kagome looked from the young woman back at Yoh suspisciously.

"And just who is she, Yoh_-kun_?" Kagome asked, emphasizing the -kun with a dangerous undertone.

"T-That's what I'd like to know," Yoh replied with a nervous grin.

"Identify yourself," Anna commanded with her usual bossy tone. Manta looked between Kagome and Anna and the mysterious stranger that suddenly stepped into the light, revealing a beautiful young man with green hair pulled up by a hairclip and wearing black Chinese dress. He did not know which of the two parties he should be more fearful of.

"My name is..." the young woman said. "Tao Jun. I'm Ren's big sister."

Anna inquired straightforwardly with a hand on her hip, "Are you also a shaman?"

Jun smirked at them and responded proudly," yes... I'm a doshi."

"Ah, I see." Manta stated. "Doshi, a type of shaman that can control kyonshi with mere commands. With words written on charms, it's possible to control kyonshi with multiple commands."

Jun replied,:"that is correct..." She then looked solely at Yoh and announced," I came here to ask a favor of you, Yoh-kun."

Kagome twitched,' there she is with that Yoh-kun stuff again.'

"For my dear little brother, Ren," Jun continued. "Could I take your samurai, Amidamaru?" she asked bluntly.

"Even if you ask nicely like that..." Yoh began.

"Of course not!" Kagome piped in. "Yoh-kun would never give up his partner just like that!!!"

Jun glared at Kagome and scoffed,"And I presume you are the one Higurashi Kagome-chan?"

Kagome almost fell over when she heard Jun address her in such a familiar manner so freely. "Tao-neesan!" Kagome shrieked. "At least have some respect and address me as Higurashi-chan!" she blurted out without thinking...

She was blushing from indignation and embarrassment now... But she could not help it. So many odd yet frustrating things were happening to her lately that she just did not know what to do anymore! All she wanted to do was screaming, especially at the older female and for so many reasons that she could not name at the moment!

"As I suspected," Jun said. "You're the spicy type of girl."

"Spicy?"

"Hmph... Tao Kagome... It has a nice ring to it, nee?" Jun inquired.

Yoh, Manta, and Kagome were so confused now that all they could do was tilt their heads to the side. Anna had no opinion of the subject.

"Why would you replace 'Higurashi' with 'Tao'?" Kagome asked in a puzzled manner. She was so confused that she could not feel anger anymore. "My name is Higurashi, not Tao."

"Still a child," Jun smirked before suddenly moving her right leg, revealing that her dress had long slits down the sides of it and her garter belt. "Yoh-kun, I suggest you just hand the samurai over quietly." she stated threateningly but still in a calm manner. But suddenly she grabbed three talismans in each of her hands and called out," Come forth my warrior, Li Bailong!!!" At Jun's command, the earth behind them suddenly slit open with a burst of golden light from which a massive, barbarian sized kyonshi leapt from the earth and landed behind Jun.

"It couldn't be..." Yoh stated with wide eyes.

"It is..." Manta said when the talismen fell off the kyonshi's face, revealing the familiar and emotionless face of his hero, Li Bailong. "It's Li Bailong's kyonshi..."

"That's right; Li Bailong is my primary spirit." Jun announced cockily. "And after the movie you should be well aware of his strength. He's the strongest of the Tao family's possessions; the ultimate corpse weapon..." she explained proudly.

Those words shook Manta's world and he stood there frozen and almost broken," p-possession...? Weapon?!"

"So... before I command Li Bailong to move," Jun stated," this is your last chance to hand over your samurai."

"No," Yoh said sternly. "You don't want that, do you, Amidamaru?" he asked his spirit.

"Of course not," Amidamaru replied without hesitation.

"So you intend to stand in Ren's way until the end?" Jun asked.

"No," Yoh said once again. "But Amidamaru is my friend, that's why I refuse to ever trade him off like an item."

"Friend..." Jun whispered. She stifled a laugh, "What a stupid excuse."

Kagome gasped; both Jun and Ren had been surprised by Yoh's declaration of Amidamaru being his friend... And they both ridiculed the thought of shamans and spirits being friends. 'What's with this family?' she wondered to herself.

"Well it seems that I'll have to kill you then!" Jun declared as threw a different talismen onto Li Bailong's face, "combat seal, equip!!!" Kagome gasped when Li Bailong suddenly got into fighting stance. "Li Bailong, teach that kid a lesson!" With that command, the kyonshi instantly sprung into action and Yoh and Amidamaru charged him head on, which was a bad idea because they were immediately thrown back by Li Bailong's special nunchuck technique.

"Since doshi control the body themselves, they can always maintain Hyoi 100%," Anna said.

"Which means this kyonshi's power is equivalent to the living Li Bailong's." Kagome concluded.

Yoh was not deterred by that, he charged at the kyonshi without hesitation but Li Bailong used the chain of his nunchucks to ensnared Yoh by wrapping the chain firmly around the pole he was holding. "Yoh-kun!" Manta cried out when Li Bailong open fist punched Yoh in the gut and made him cough up blood.

Jun calmly walked over to Li Bailong, who had Yoh haunched over on his massive fist and said," Resistance is futile. You can not defeat me so..." the she leaned over and whispered into his eat,"Hand over that samurai spirit."

_**SMACK!!!**_

This scene was a familiar one. Jun held a burning, red cheek and Kagome glared up at her with blue-gray that were clouded with anger. "...Don't you dare..." she whispered harshly. "Don't you dare come so close to Yoh-kun!!!"

Manta stared at the scene that seemed like a replay of Yoh's first fight with Ren. 'K-Kagome-chan... So bold...' he thought; his body was trembling from amazement and fear at the same time.

"Why don't you people just understand that spirits are not just tools for shamans to use and give and take so easily?!" Kagome shouted. "How many of you will come with such garbage of notions before you realize that spirits are a shaman's allies, their friends!!! If you were to die and someone suddenly began to treat you the way you treat spirits, you wouldn't be happy, would you?! Are you saying that once a person dies, they're no longer human?! That's ludicrous!" Kagome shouted out an entire tirade until she was left with nothing else to say and panting heavily from the adrenaline rushing through her.

Manta then began to cry out and shouted at the older Tao, "Kagome-chan and Yoh-kun are right! Li Bailong was my idol, my hero!!! And yet you treat him so poorly, like he's trash! But even in death, Li Bailong is Li Bailong! So he definitely deserves better! Even he does such terrible things!!!"

Anna then stepped in front of Manta and explained, "Li Bailong is not the one at fault here. Although that is his body, he is still but a kyonshi. His actions are being controlled by her. The only bad person here is that girl over there."

"Hmph," Jun smirked and countered," a shaman is someone who controls spirits. The spirit's will is meaningless. In the Tao family, to become great shamans, we receive our primary spirits when we are children. Ever since I was born seventeen years ago, Li Bailong has been under my command. He was the best present that my father has ever given me."

"No way," Manta whispered while dropping to his knees in despair. "The Li Bailong that I've always admired... was killed for this..."

"You're so stupid for crying like that," Jun said coldly. "Kyonshi do not recognize feelings because they have no feelings."

"That's not true!!!" Yoh struggled to yell as he swaggered backwards, away from the grip of Li Bailong. "Spirits aren't things... There are no spirits without feelings because they **are** the feeling." Kagome placed her hands on Yoh's back to hold him up when he was about to fall again.

"Yoh-kun, you shouldn't move around yet," Kagome stated worriedly.

Yoh offered Kagome a forced smile and replied with a facade of toughness," I'm pretty tough you know. Besides, I remember what happened the last time you slapped a member of the Tao family..."

_Kagome ignored the two of them; she stopped between Ren and Yoh's fallen body. "That's far enough!" she yelled. "Leave him alone!"_

_"If you stand in my way then I will-" __**SLAP! **__Ren did not even have the chance to finish his sentence. Kagome had slapped him clear across the faced out blind desperation and fury._

_"Sh- She didn't…" Ryu whispered._

_Ren was more shocked than hurt, in fact, he was not hurt at all. For several moments, he stood there with his head turned to the side in the direction Kagome had slapped him with his mouth slightly ajar. Kagome was more shocked than anyone… She almost felt the urge to apologize but before she could even fix her mouth to speak, Ren was back into reality._

_He growled and glared at her, "d-damn you!!!"_

_"He'll kill her!" Ryu's remaining followers yelled._

_Kagome closed her eyes and waited for whatever her fate was… "Stay out of my way!" Ren yelled before whacking her on top of her head with the pole of his kwan-dao. It was enough to knock the girl out cold… She fell into Ryu's arms without even a peep of pain._

"This is different," Kagome pouted a bit. "I'm a lot stronger now."

"I have no doubt that," Yoh replied with a smile. "But this fight... belongs to Amidamaru and I." With that said, Yoh finally stood up tall and drew the pole that he used as a sword once again.

"Impossible!" Jun shouted, "No one should be able to stand after receiving an attack by my Bailong!"

Yoh smirked and replied," Amidamaru and I... we can't be taken down by an attack that was held back by hesitation."

Jun narrowed her eyes in frustration, "What hesitation?!"

"No matter how much you claim that you can control a spirit's body," Yoh said. "You can never control their hearts or feelings!!!"

"Yoh-kun, look at that!" Kagome gasped in shocked. Everyone saw it... A single tear flowed from Bailong's eyes and ran down his cold, pale face. "Li Bailong... he's crying..." she whispered empathetically. It was that feeling again... The same feeling when she empathized with Rin's spirit back in the forest with Sesshomaru. Somehow Kagome could feel her soul reach out and connect with Bailong's... Which only made her want to cry too. "Tao Jun..." Kagome whispered. "You truly are ignorant..."

"What?!" Jun was taken back for the umpteenth time today by the girl.

"You're causing Bailong so much pain and sorrow," Kagome whispered. "So much regret."

"Li Bailong!" Yoh yelled at the crying kyonshi. "Just wait, I'll tear that talisman and set your soul free!"

"Let's see you try!" Jun retorted. "Bailong, be his escort to the underworld." she commanded.

...The kyonshi did not budge.

"BAILONG!!!" Jun shouted enraged. The kyonshi drew his weapon and then charged at Yoh once again with tears in his eyes. Yoh tried to stave off the attack, only to be thrust back again. Bailong then dealt a barrage of punches and kicks directly to Yoh's body.

"Anna-san, lend Yoh-kun some help!" Manta said, looking up at Anna, who only remained a spectator.

"I have no intentions of helping Yoh." Anna replied. "This is just another trial he has to overcome to become Shaman King. I refuse to marry a man who cannot pass something like this."

"What kind of fiancée are you?!" Manta countered.

"We women are realists." Anna replied simply.

Kagome latched onto Sesshomaru's sleeve once more and begged with tears in her eyes, "Sesshomaru! Come on! Yoh-kun needs a hand here! If we lose, I promise to never ask again if you think I'm ready! So please!" Sesshomaru did not even bother looking at her or responding to his partner's plea.

Anna replied for him, "It's futile, dobe. Sesshomaru and I have an agreement going on. One of the conditions being that you two will not interfere with any of Yoh's fights..."

"So that's why?!" Kagome asked Sesshomaru, not holding back her anger in her voice. "Well forget it! I'll do it on my own!"

Manta looked up at Kagome and asked, "What do you mean?!"

Kagome closed her eyes and held out her hand in front of her as if to grab something that was invisible. "I ask for your assistance," she whispered to an invisible force. Everyone except Yoh watched with interest as a golden aura engulfed Kagome and the air around her swirled and tossed around her hair and loose skirt. "Take heed!" she shouted. "Higurashi Rin!!!" Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes when the gift from Rin, the gold, crescent shaped bow appeared in Kagome's right hand and the golden aura disappeared.

"I may be a failure as a shaman," Kagome said as she materialized an arrow of pure, pink light in her other hand and took aim at Bailong, who Yoh was still having a hard time dealing with. "But let's try my luck as a priestess..." she finished.

**Chapter 7: A Corpse Cries!**

**Tao Jun & Li Bailong!!!**

**!ENDS!**

* * *

Authoress' Notes: I'm so sorry for the long wait, everyone! It looks like I've become one of those authors that pop up randomly once in a blue moon. TT_TT I still do love you guys and writing fanfiction! But everytime I try to write, something weird happens where I have to start all over!!! Gr... Anyway, but I hope this was worth waiting for. I'll try to update every two weeks from now on... No promises though because I don't want to disappoint anyone.

And as for my Death Note/Inuyasha story... Hm... I 've lost the file for that so I have to re-start on that too. But writing this chapter was much easier to do than writing on _Coming to the Light _for some reason. Anyway BIG NEWS!

HAS ANYONE ELSE BEEN WATCHING INUYASHA: KANKETSU-HEN AKA INUYASHA: THE FINAL ACT?! It's the conclusion of the series, the final season that finished where the manga does. And it is so awesome!!! If you have not been watching, go watch it. Even if you hate reading subtitles, you can not wait until it's out in English to watch because it's too awesome for words.

And you know what; the final season is turning me into a Sesshomaru/Kagome shipper... Not that I will incorporate that pairing into this story. I just like the pairing now. Want to know what I'm talking about? Go watch it. Especially episode 23. There are subtle hints at Sesshomaru/Kagome in there and it is awesome!!! O///O

Anyways, I started this chapter with the intention of writing it solely about Kagome and Anna's relationship development, as you can see from the beginning, but... It kind of... went into a totally different direction. Oh well! ^-^' Hopefully we'll see more of Ren soon, the conclusion to the mix up about Kagome and Manta's "relationship", more Kagome and Anna clashing and bonding... and much, much more things to look forward to in the future!

And I apologize if Kagome is turning a bit too kickass for anyone... but she's totally kickass in the Final Act so that's what's got me pumped. But don't worry; Kagome still has a LLLLOONNGGG way to go. And if anyone needs to know why Kagome is actually so strangely, I am incorporating the fact that Kagome is a 13 year old girl in this story and in her character. She's got new active hormones and is in the midst of falling in love, unknowingly of course though. So don't mind Kagome's moodiness, it's all apart of the process of early adolescence.

Time for the pairing polls, which will be closed after chapter nine is posted so that results will shown in chapter ten, so two more chapters to go! The poll in my profile has been renewed now also, so don't forget to vote there if you're the type who doesn't leave reviews.

Yoh/Kagome- 87 (In the lead. People are worried about Anna. So am I. But I have a plan, I'll let you in on it in chapter ten though)

Pro-Harem/Kagome- 60 (Not surprised, the canon Kagome is always in a harem of some sorts)

Anti-Harem/Kagome-1 (Nothing really to say about this one)

No one/Kagome– 1 (Ooooo…kay) O_x

Ren/Kagome- 50 (I'm actually becoming of big fan of this pairing, uguu, someone write one of these ttooo!)

Hao/Kagome- 58 (2nd place, not including the harem as a pairing, Ren is closing in)

Horo Horo/Kagome- 20 (Poor Horo Horo, he's got hardly love)

Lyserg/Kagome- 13 (Lyserg is kinda cute, but it'll be a while until he comes into the picture, keep voting though)

No one/Anna- 7 (O_O This comes in the lead for Anna pairings, how mean D: Anna need love too)

Anna/Hao- 6 (Maybe this will beat the No one/Anna next time around)

Ren/Anna- 3 (Ren always seems to be second to Hao O_x)

Yoh/Anna- 2 (Wow... The actual Canon pairing to Shaman King... O_x Probably my fault with all the Yoh/Kagome fluff)

Pro-Harem/Anna- 1 (Okay, so we've got an Anna harem arising!)

Anti-Harem/Anna- 3

Other/Anna- 1 (-_-' But who?)

Horo Horo/Anna- 1 (Okay, this would work if only one person did not vote for it)

Manta/Anna- 1 (O_x Okay... It's... writable)

Just to clarify a few things about voting for pairings...

1) I do not count the Pro-Harem and Anti-Harem options as pairings. The purpose for adding them into the polls is to figure out whether or not there will be a harem! So the Pro-Harem and Anti-Harem options are basically having a show-down of their own. By the end of polls whether or not there will be a harem will depend on if Pro-Harem or Anti-Harem has the most votes.

2) Again, since the option of Pro-Harem and Anti-Harem is open for polls, you may vote for more than one pairing! Yes, you can!!! Because if Pro-Harem wins, depending on the order of most received votes, that will affect the relationship between the characters. Example: If Yoh/Kagome comes in 1st place, Hao/Kagome comes in 2nd place, Ren/Kagome comes in 3rd place, and Horo Horo/Kagome comes in 4th place. There will be love triangle between Yoh Kagome and Hao, but with Yoh/Kagome has the lead pairing. Then there would be a strong, friend-like relationship between Kagome and Ren with Kagome being unaware of Ren's special feelings for her... And so on.

3) Yes, I will also include the highest voted for pairing for Anna into the story cause like I said Anna needs love too! D:

4) Finally, keep voting for your preferred pairing! And do not fear everyone- since there will most likely a harem, your preferred pairing will get a chapter written solely around it~! So Lyserg/Kagome fans, Horo Horo/Kaogme fans, you'll have to keep trying.

P.S: It would make a certain Neko Sakuma-chan very happy if someone else wrote a Shaman King/Inuyasha story. *wink* *wink* (hint, hint) lol ^-^'

R&R!


	8. The Shocking Conclusion Ryu's Resolution

Authoress Notes: Awww, this fairly quick update is a gift to all of my faithful friends and reviewers! *blows kisses to all* I hope you guys like this chapter as much, or even more, than you did the last!

Special Chapter Dedication to: All of you! I can't point out anyone specific because all you faithful reviewers have been awesome! :)

And of course my best bud Beautiful Phantom for bearing with me through all of this! :'3

Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King or Inuyasha and claim no rights to them but I DO own this fan fiction story.

* * *

_**Previously on Shaman King…**_

_Yoh smirked and replied, "Amidamaru and I... we can't be taken down by an attack that was held back by hesitation."_

_Jun narrowed her eyes in frustration, "What hesitation?!"_

_"No matter how much you claim that you can control a spirit's body," Yoh said. "You can never control their hearts or feelings!!!"_

_"Yoh-kun, look at that!" Kagome gasped in shocked. Everyone saw it... A single tear flowed from Bailong's eyes and ran down his cold, pale face. "Li Bailong... he's crying..." she whispered empathetically. It was that feeling again... The same feeling when she empathized with Rin's spirit back in the forest with Sesshomaru. Somehow Kagome could feel her soul reach out and connect with Bailong's... Which only made her want to cry too. "Tao Jun..." Kagome whispered. "You truly are ignorant..."_

_"What?!" Jun was taken back for the umpteenth time today by the girl._

_"You're causing Bailong so much pain and sorrow," Kagome whispered. "So much regret."_

_"Li Bailong!" Yoh yelled at the crying kyonshi. "Just wait, I'll tear that talisman and set your soul free!"_

_"Let's see you try!" Jun retorted. "Bailong, be his escort to the underworld." she commanded._

_...The kyonshi did not budge._

_"BAILONG!!!" Jun shouted enraged. The kyonshi drew his weapon and then charged at Yoh once again with tears in his eyes. Yoh tried to stave off the attack, only to be thrust back again. Bailong then dealt a barrage of punches and kicks directly to Yoh's body._

_"Anna-san, lend Yoh-kun some help!" Manta said, looking up at Anna, who only remained a spectator._

_"I have no intentions of helping Yoh." Anna replied. "This is just another trial he has to overcome to become Shaman King. I refuse to marry a man who cannot pass something like this."_

_"What kind of fiancée are you?!" Manta countered._

_"We women are realists." Anna replied simply._

_Kagome latched onto Sesshomaru's sleeve once more and begged with tears in her eyes, "Sesshomaru! Come on! Yoh-kun needs a hand here! If we lose, I promise to never ask again if you think I'm ready! So please!" Sesshomaru did not even bother looking at her or responding to his partner's plea._

_Anna replied for him, "It's futile, dobe. Sesshomaru and I have an agreement going on. One of the conditions being that you two will not interfere with any of Yoh's fights..."_

_"So that's why?!" Kagome asked Sesshomaru, not holding back her anger in her voice. "Well forget it! I'll do it on my own!"_

_Manta looked up at Kagome and asked, "What do you mean?!"_

_Kagome closed her eyes and held out her hand in front of her as if to grab something that was invisible. "I ask for your assistance," she whispered to an invisible force. Everyone except Yoh watched with interest as a golden aura engulfed Kagome and the air around her swirled and tossed around her hair and loose skirt. "Take heed!" she shouted. "Higurashi Rin!!!" Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes when the gift from Rin, the gold, crescent shaped bow appeared in Kagome's right hand and the golden aura disappeared._

_"I may be a failure as a shaman," Kagome said as she materialized an arrow of pure, pink light in her other hand and took aim at Bailong, who Yoh was still having a hard time dealing with. "But let's try my luck as a priestess..." she finished._

**Chapter 8: The Shocking Conclusion, Ryu's Resolution!**

**Asakura Family Plus TWO?!**

"Higurashi," Anna stated, narrowing her eyes slightly at Kagome. "Do not interfere."

"No," Kagome replied sternly. "I respect Anna-san's practice of tough love..." Kagome stated while pulling back the bow string and concentrating... waiting for the right moment to launch her arrow.

"If you respect then you wouldn't go against my will." Anna said. There was but a distance of two feet between the spiritual medium and the young priestess. Anna took a single step towards her, but Kagome did not waver or lower her bow.

'No... This is what I want.' Kagome thought to herself.

Bailong kicked Yoh twenty feet into the air.

Kagome did not take her eyes off Yoh or his opponent. "I do respect your methods, Anna-san but-" Bailong launched himself at Yoh, his body speeding at the young shaman like a bullet. "That's not my style." And she let it fly.

The arrow made of pure energy burned with an intense heat, it was so hot that Jun took a step further away from it as the arrow whizzed past her and up at her kyonshi. It made contact directly to the chest of Bailong, who did not even scream in pain as his body disappeared within a suddenly burst of blinding pink light. Everyone shielded their eyes for a few seconds until the light faded away.

"IMPOSSIBLE!!!" Jun screamed while Manta and Kagome cried out," YOH-KUN!!!" The two fighters plummeted towards the ground. Kagome instinctively dropped the crescent, which made it automatically faded away as if it were dust. She ran towards the spot Yoh should land and outstretched her arms to catch him...

"Kyah!!!" She shrieked when he fell right into her arms and she, not being able to handle his weight under gravity, fell backwards onto the ground, landing unceremoniously on her butt. "Yoh-kun!" She said urgently. He had landed face first into her chest. Kagome blushed. 'Now's not the time,' she thought when Yoh looked up at her and grinned embarrassedly.

"Thanks for the save," he said with a light blush on his cheeks.

"Anytime," Kagome smiled back. She and Yoh then stood up and turned their attention to Bailong, who lyed on the ground motionlessly; pink electric sparks coursing through his body as if he had been just zapped by pink lightning.

"Kagome-chan..." Manta whispered as he wiped tears from his eyes. "She did it. She defeated Li Bailong... with a single arrow."

"No," Anna stated solemnly. This caught Manta's attention and he looked up at the spiritual medium curiously. "It's not over yet. Watch." Manta gasped when he turned his attention back to the battle at hand.

"Bailong, you can not be defeated by measly arrow from a young girl! Rise to your feet!" Jun commanded harshly.

"Sorry," Kagome whispered to Yoh as he picked up the metal pole again and watched as the kyonshi slowly got to his feet. "I wasn't thinking so I didn't aim for the talisman."

"It's alright," Yoh replied with a reassuring smile. "You still helped out a lot, so you did a good job!"

Jun glared at the two of them and stated with a calm anger, "Don't get cocky because you landed on Bailong! As I've said before, he is the ultimate weapon so this fight will never end until Asakura Yoh is dead!" She smirked when Bailong slowly walked over to her and took his place by her side. "Now, Bailong. Finish the job. And if you have to, temporarily dispose of Higurashi Kagome-chan."

"K-Kagome-chan?!" Kagome huffed with flushed cheeks.

"Now is not the time to be bothered by such petty things," Sesshomaru stated as he appeared by her side.

"So you have decided to join the fight, Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked with a sweet smile.

"I remain firm with my decision," Sesshomaru replied. "I will have no part in this fight."

"Some partner you are."

"Prepare yourself," the demon lord stated as he watched Bailong slowly take a shaky step forward towards the direction of Kagome and Yoh.

"Yoh-kun, Kagome-chan, you seem very fond of each other," Jun stated while watching with silent pleasure as her kyonshi slowly and eerily approached the two teenagers. "But after I sent Yoh-kun to Hell, the bond you share will be broken. And then- Ah-!" Jun gasped when Bailong stopped within a few inches of Kagome and got down on one knee in front of the priestess.

"Ba-Bailong is... kneeling before Kagome-chan?!" Manta inquired with a shocked expression. Although he had been a spectator of the fight this entire time; all of a sudden he felt lost.

"Higurashi is a priestess," Anna explained as she watched the scene play out before her. "Priestesses are the messengers of the gods. The purest of human beings. More pure than shamans. While shamans are more in tuned with spirits than priestesses, priestesses are more in tuned with the gods. Higurashi's purification arrow overthrew the doshi's command over the kyonshi, fore a god's rule is more powerful than a spirit's."

'I don't get it,' Manta thought to himself. 'But whatever is going on... It looks like things have turned into our favor.'

"Li Bailong?" Kagome asked. "Are you alright now?"

"..." Bailong did not answer. Kagome was worried. She could not see his face with his head lowered the way it was.

"Bailong?" Kagome asked again. "Is Tao still controlling you?"

"Of course I am," Jun replied. "Your purification arrow is too weak to completely banish my rule over Bailong... It was a nice try though." Jun then closed her eyes and focused more of her energy into the charm set upon her kyonshi. "Li Bailong! Do not forget who your master is! Now- ATTACK!!!"

Kagome gasped when Bailong's head suddenly snapped up, and she caught a glimpse of cold, dead eyes from beneath of talisman.

"Kagome-chan, look out!" Yoh yelled as he forcefully pushed her back a split second before Bailong threw a punch at the priestess. The punch made contact with Yoh's ribs and sent him flying back again.

"Yoh-kun!" Kagome shouted for the umpteenth time that night. She ran up to him while he slowly attempted to get up, but to no avail. The second he tried to get up, he heard a crack and he felt a bone in his back break, causing him to fall backward flat onto the ground again. "Yoh-kun, you can't get it anymore! Leave it to me!" Kagome stated.

"I can't..." Yoh replied as he grimly watched Bailong walk toward them again. "This fight belongs to Amidamaru and I... I would do him injustice if I just ran away. And besides..." Yoh looked Kagome's into the eyes suddenly, causing her heart to jump. "He's pulling his punches even more than before, which means your arrow is still in effect. We can definitely handle him."

Amidamaru then appeared added in, "Yoh-dono is correct, but in order to break through his defense, I need something that resembles a real katana... Something with a grip."

Jun huffed a bit and stated, "Hmph. A true samurai would never blame his lack of skill on a katana. It shows how unworthy you really are, Yoh-kun..."

Kagome got to her feet and stood in front of Yoh with her arms stretched out towards each side, blocking Yoh from Jun's and Bailong's view. "I've had just about enough of this!!! If you truly want to kill Yoh-kun and take Amidamaru-sama..." The young girl glared at the doshi and her kyonshi, who towered above her and Yoh, easily overshadowing them. "You'll have to kill me first!"

"Stop it, Kagome-chan! Run away!" Yoh yelled as he tried to get up again. _**Crack! **_"Damn it... it hurts." He whispered angrily.

Jun smiled menacingly, "Hmm?" Kagome blinked at her, but did not waver in her resolve. "What makes you think I want to kill you? I have other plans for you, Kagome-chan." Jun then gave Kagome a look so cold that it did not match her earlier demeanor at all. "But I guess you'll have to learn your place the hard way..." The doshi looked at her kyonshi and telepathically gave him her command. "It's about time to get serious." With that said, Bailong proceeded in trying to beat Yoh to death, but to no avail as Kagome shielded Yoh her body.

The priestess cried out, releasing both tears of pain and a few droplets of blood that splattered down onto Yoh's face. "Kagome-chan!" Yoh screamed, trying to push to girl away from him but she kept her arms wrapped firmly around him as she used her back as a shield to Bailong's continuous stomping. "Stop that! You'll die!!!" The shaman protested. But his body was too weak to resist...

"Yoh-kun..." Kagome whispered with tearry. She winced in pain with each blow she took. "I'm sorry for being so selfish..."

"What are you saying?!" Yoh yelled. "Stop throwing your life away!!!"

Another wince but not scream. "I'm going this because I want to return the favor for the times you've been there for me but I was too weak to help you..." Kagome explained. "I don't want to be... a burden to you."

"W-What are you talking about?" Yoh inquired with wide eyes. "You've never been a burden."

"You're lying!" Kagome yelled as another wince cause her to squeeze her eyes shut and force out tears that fell onto Yoh's cheek like salty raindrops. "Ever since we've first met you've done nothing but save and protect me and I did not in return because I was too weak!" she explained. "And you never complained about it one bit, even though it's true... So this time... This time... I'll protect you."

"Enough of the sappy chit-chat, Kagome-chan," Jun cut in callously. "I suggest stop with your foolish interference or you'll lose your life."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Kaogme replied in frustrated. "This time I'm protecting Yoh-kun!!! And I won't complain or scream in pain, not once!!!"

"Kagome-chan, take Yoh-kun and run!!!" Manta called out from the sidelines. "Get out of there!!!"

"You know we can't do that!" Kagome yelled back. "Now hurry, you know what to do! We're counting on you!"

Manta nodded and took off at the fastest speed that his short legs could carry him.

'Hurry back, Manta-kun...' Kagome thought desperately. 'I don't know how much more of this I can!'

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Oyamada Manta ran at top speed through the dark streets. 'Something that resembles a katana...' he thought determinedly. He had a place in mind. Manta smiled when the sports shop came into view and came to halt in front of it. 'It's closed, but the owner should be able to help out nonetheless.' He thought as he walked towards the entrance to the dark shop.

"WHAT?!" He yelled, frustrated when he saw a sign on the front door that read: _"Closed for the week, out on vacation."_

Manta grunted and began to run again towards another store he had in mind. It took a good ten minutes to reach it even though Manta was running as fast as he could. No luck. There was absolutely no one there. 'Where else can I go...?' he thought panicked. 'Yoh-kun desperately needs a sword so he can defeat Bailong...'

That was when the sound of motorcycles hit his ears and Manta perked up at the sight of headlights turning the corner into his direction. He bravely ran right into the middle of the street and blocked a gang's way from proceeding. The leader of the gang had spiky black hair was holding a wooden sword in his hands.

"Oi, gaki!" The leader yelled as the motorcycles came to a screeching halt. "Out of the way unless you want trouble."

"Please..." Manta whispered.

"Ehhh?" the man placed his hand behind his ear and aimed it Manta's way. "Can't hear ya!"

"Please allow me to borrow your sword!" Manta begged.

"What are you, retarded?!" The leader yelled as he swung at Manta. But he then gasped when the short boy merely took told on the sword and hung onto it even as he held the sword into the air. "You're a freaky little leech, let go if you know what's good for ya!"

"Please allow me to borrow your sword!" Manta repeated. "If you don't... my friends will die!"

"What are you blabbering about?!" The leader yelled while wildly swinging the sword at the ground, smashing Manta into the ground each time, but still he held onto the sword.

"I'm begging you!" Manta cried out. "Please allow me to borrow your sword!"

This time the leader punched Manta square into the eye, immediately bruising it a shiny purple. "You're too damn persistent! I'll end things here-!" Before the leader of the gang could deal another blow to Manta, a suddenly blur of white swiftly moved in and suddenly the leader was on the ground. Manta was now the only one with a hold of the wooden sword.

The short teen looked up and gasped," Ryu?!"

He had never been so happy to see the gangster in his entire life.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Yoh felt Kagome's hold on him loosen after the last blow she took from Bailong. "Kagome-chan!!! Stay alive!" He yelled as he tried to worm his way from her protective arms. He had a bit of a break so his body felt a lot better than before but- Yoh grabbed Kagome and rolled out of the way of Bailong's next stomp. Yoh landed on top of Kagome and he light tapped her cheek. She was out cold. "Grr…" He seethed as he slowly got to his feet and swaggered away from his unconscious friend to divert Bailong's attention back to him. "You hurt my friend! Now I'll never forgive you!" Yoh proclaimed, more so at Jun than at Bailong.

"There you go about friendship again," Jun said in a peeved tone. "Look where friendship got poor Kagome-over there. What good are friends anyway?" she asked.

That was when a bright light suddenly appeared and the sound and smell of burning rubber filled the tense night air. Manta hopped off a motorcycle with a wooden sword in hand. He stood triumphantly before the shamans with a big smile on his face. "For one thing, friends help in getting rid of people like you!" Manta stated as he ran up to Yoh.

"You didn't run away?!" Jun asked with wide eyes.

She did not understand it... This thing called friendship.

"Here it is," Manta stated while extending the wooden sword to Yoh. "A katana with a grip. Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Manta fought bravely," a familiar, deep voice said out of the blue. Yoh looked up and gasped at the sight of Ryu of the Wooden Sword hoisting Kagome into his arms. "Accept his readiness" He looked down the girl in his arms. "And I'll take care of this cutie here."

Yoh smiled and nodded as he took the sword from Manta. "Thanks, Manta. I really appreciate it." Manta smiled back and scratched the back of his head.

Amidamaru suddenly appeared with a serious but satisfied expression on his face," thanks to Manta's zealous efforts, I, Amidamaru, will end this battle with my greatest technique!"

"There is no technique that can defeat Bailong," Jun retorted. She pointed at Yoh, who steadied the wooden sword. "Bailong, go! End this battle once and for all!!!" Under his master's command, Bailong sprung into battle mode again. Yoh and Amidamaru were able to use the top side of the sword to ward off Bailong's kick and immediately turned around and launched their counter attack.

"Amidaryuu!" Yoh stated, pointing the sword to the side before swinging it at Bailong and calling out, "Shinkuu Buttagiri!!!" And with the swing of the sword, Yoh and Amidamaru unleashed a red slash of energy at Bailong. Everyone stood frozen and stared as a deadly silence filled the area. The warriors stood there... until the talisman on Bailong's face fell off and shredded into pieces. Jun watched with wide eyes filled with shock and utter disbelief.

Anna smirked and stated; "Now it's over."

The dark brown color returned to Bailong's once white eyes and so did the emotion. First came shock.

"Bai... long...?" He asked. It was if he was testing the taste of the name of something foreign on his tongue.

The kyonshi walked over to the poster of his movie and looked at the headline and date displayed on it. "Seventeen years?!" He inquired.

Next came disbelief.

"What have I been doing all of this time?!" he asked himself.

Then there was utter confusion.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO ME?!" He yelled as he punched through the display glass the covered the movie poster.

...Disbelief.

"Why..." He asked as he stared at his hand that held shards of glass inside of it. "Why do I not feel any pain?"

"Foolish Bailong," Jun stated. "You've been dead for seventeen years. A kyonshi should act like a kyonshi and do as your master, Tao Jun, says."

'Tao!' Bailong thought, it felt as if he was hit with a ton of bricks. That name... Tao... It brought back forgotten memories.

_There was a man dressed a tan overcoat and a hat that concealed his entire face to the warrior. He aimed a gun directly at his heart and stated apologetically," Li Bailong, being the great warrior that you are, I regret that I have to do this to you. But you are to become a main spirit of the Tao family. I am sorry." A flash of light, the loud bang of a gunshot. And then... nothing._

Until now.

Jun threw another binding charm at Bailong, but he did not have to look at it to grab the thin piece of paper.

"Ba-Bailong grabbed the charm?!" Manta asked, shocked.

"Wha- What's going on here?!" Ryu asked, just as confused and shocked as Manta was, if not more.

"Li Bailong is rebelling against his doshi," Anna stated.

"Because of you..." Bailong whispered furiously. "I lost everything... My life... My dreams... EVERYTHING!!! BECAUSE OF **YOU**!!!" Manta gasped when Bailong began to attack Jun with blind fury. Suddenly the battle turned from Bailong versus Yoh to Bailong versus Jun as the doshi barely dodged and evaded her rebellious kyonshi's lethal assaults.

Jun tripped after avoiding another attack. Bailong took advantage of this and swung his nunchuck down at her, intending to end her life then and there with one blow. Jun shut her eyes and awaited her demise... It did not come. She opened her eyes and gasped at the sight of Yoh standing protectively in front of her, using the width of the sword to hold of the nunchuck.

"Why you-!!!" Bailong seethed.

"Li Bailong, tell me... How does taking revenge feel?" Yoh asked. "Is it fun...? The fact is that even if you did get revenge for what the Tao family did to you, you will never get back the things you lost... You will still be dead."

"What the hell do you know?!" The kyonshi shouted as he pulled hard on the nunchuck, causing it to snap the wooden sword in two. Yoh was forced to stand there and hold on an endless barrage of nunchuck attacks from Bailong.

"It's too late now," Amidamaru said. "At this point, Bailong is too blinded by fury to listen to reason."

"Tao Jun!" Yoh said. "You're his doshi, isn't there anyway to stop him?!"

Jun looked to the ground in shame and defeated, lowering her head. "No... It's impossible Bailong now. There is no one in the world that is strong enough to defeat him and he won't listen to me anymore." _**SLAP!!! **_

That was the second slap to the face that Jun had received today, but this one came from Anna, who had remained a mere spectator of the fight until now. "I don't want to here that from you of all people." Anna stated while narrowing her eyes and gazing down at Jun, who was still lying on the ground. "He's your main spirit, take responsibility." She commanded. "Now think, there must be someone stronger than Li Bailong."

"No, there's no one that's-" Jun's eyes widened and she paused in mid-sentence.

"So there is someone." Anna said.

"If I remember correctly," Jun began. "Bailong had a master who he could never defeat... Shamon."

"That's right!" Manta piped in excitedly. "Back in his earlier days of learning kung fu, Bailong was trained by Shamon!" He explained. "And although Shamon was only his teacher of kung fu, Bailong treated and respected Shamon like he was a teacher of life itself! The one who Bailong could never defeat- Mighty Kung Fu Master, Shamon!"

"Heh, even that does not matter," Jun said glumly. "Shamon died a long time ago..."

"That is where I come in." Anna stated as she took hold of the blue beads around her neck. "Anytime, anywhere, no matter where it is, I can recall a spirit. That is me-" Anna pulled the beads off and held them outward away from her body. "Spiritual medium, Anna!"

"Spiritual... medium...?" Jun could not believe what she was hearing. She could only watch as Anna began her ritual by shaking her beads and reciting a spell.

"I fondle it once, for the seed of the father." Anna stated. She shook the beads again. "I fondle it twice, for the seed of the mother." Another shake. "I fondle thrice, for the hometown... Mirror, descend upon my body." Anna held the beads in the air with her eyes closed and called out," if this voice is heard in the other world, stand up! If the sounds of these beads are heard, come out now!!!" When she opened her eyes, they glowed with a bright white light. Anna was now in a trance like state. Manta cheered excitedly when he saw red flames of spiritual energy appear around Anna. "Yoh!!!" Anna called to the shaman.

Yoh and Anna jumped into the air in unison as Yoh released Amidamaru from their merge. Anna yelled, "Shamon's soul! Come on out! Fusion of the Spiritual Medium!!!" She then wacked her beads against Yoh's back and commanded," Get inside!!!"

When Yoh landed on his feet, everyone could sense the change within him. The young shaman had achieved Hyoi Gattai with Shamon... First Yoh was hunched over and slowly he stood and placed a hand behind his ear and inquired in a confused, senile manner, "say what?"

The spectators' anime fell.

"He's a regular old man!" Ryu exclaimed.

"Even so, Bailong should not be able to defeat him," Amidamaru said.

Everyone watched in awed amazement as Yoh was easily able to dodge and evade Bailong's attacks and moves. Shamon could easily predict Bailong's movements. He jumped into the air to avoid a kick that was so powerful that Bailong's leg got caught into the bricks of a building. Yoh landed gracefully onto Bailong's leg and said,"Your moves are flaws because you blinded by rage." Bailong gasped and his eyes widened when he finally realized who he was fightning now. "Didn't I teach you that the most important a martial artist must learn to do is to calm themselves?!" Bailong only growled and launched a barrage of punches at Yoh, which he easily stopped one by one until he finally took the opportunity to throw Bailong back with a blast of energy.

"That was move was invented from Daodan Do!" Manta said. "Shamon's Shadow Fist!"

Amidamaru could not believe his eyes, "Bailong is being treated as if he were a mere child."

Shamon then came forth and spoke to Bailong, "Fury clouds one's heart. Abandon your rage, Bailong."

Bailong got up and did not face his master, he only questioned angrily,"Why shouldn't I be angry?! I... My life was taken away and I've lost everything. "

"You have not lost everything..." Shamon proceeded to explain. "When you have lost everything, you can't even feel furious anymore. Yet you feel furious... Why? Because your devotion to the completion of Daodan remains in your heart." Everyone could tell Shamon had hit the nail on the head. "However, is this martial full of fury the Daodan you seek?" the old man asked.

"Shut up!!!" Bailong shouted as he drew his nunchucks again. "AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Yoh continued to easily evade and dodge Bailong.

"It's the same as if a child were fighting!" Shamon said.

Nonetheless, Bailong continued on with his assaults.

"If you let your feelings show so clearly, anyone can dodge your attacks." Shamon explained. "If you don't calm down, your future will forever be closed to you." Bailong still did not listen; he continued his blind attacks. "How foolish... If you can not calm yourself, I will have to calm your heart for you!" Yoh and Shamon balled up their fist and pulled them back, right side up, to their sides and called out as a golden energy gathered from within. "Shadow Fist Succession Technique." As they pushed their fist forward, a golden beam of light shot up and hit Bailong. "Shou Jyu Ken!!!"

Shamon thought solemnly, 'This will be... my final lesson to you...' as Bailong finally went down and did not get back up. The seal that bound the kyonshi to Jun began glowed as it began to fade off of his chest. From within the seal, Bailong's true spirit emerged and took the form... this one only dressed in a white t-shirt and a pair of black fighting pants.

This Bailong was calm and surprised. He stared at Shamon with wide eyes and stuttered, "Ma-Master!"

"Yoooo!" Shamon greeted cheerfully with a grin.

"Please forgive me!" Bailong begged as he slightly bowed and lowered his head. "Because of my lack of control, you had to come all this way."

Shamon turned looked over his shoulder at Yoh who was lying out on the ground from exhaustion. "It's all thanks to that boy and his friends..." the old master said. "He fought to save you and everyone's dreams." He smiled. "Because your Daodan was not created to save yourself, but to help others, that is what makes the image of you live on everyone's hearts... You should be grateful."

Bailong and Yoh made direct eye contact when Yoh finally sat up.

...

Yoh have Bailong his signature grin and Bailong was so taken aback and at the same time, so relieved. Still, he returned the smile. It was something he had not done in a long time and doing it feels so good, like a breath of fresh air after drowning in a sea of salty toxins.

Jun turned and began to walk away silently, but Anna did not let her go without asking, "Are you going to abandon Bailong and go?"

This halted the doshi in her tracks. "Maybe I was wrong," Jun said. "Even though he was my main spirit, I didn't know a thing about Bailong." Jun looked up at the sky and admitted, "I don't even know right from wrong anymore, but I'll say this much... I was completely defeated." Jun turned around and looked at Anna and smiled, "He's a great person... Asakura Yoh that is."

"Of course he is," Anna replied. "He _is_ my fiancee after all."

Jun closed her eyes and chuckled a bit, "That's a relief to me." She stated. "But if I were you I wouldn't be so sure of myself," Jun stated. She looked in the direction of the young priestess resting in Ryu's arms and Anna followed her line of sight and narrowed her eyes. "Kagome-chan and Yoh-kun... They seem to have a special sort of bond between them... He fights for her and she protects him... Their friendship could turn into something more."

"What are you blabbing about now?" Anna asked while crossing her arms. Jun smiled, knowing fully well that Anna understood her and was only dismissing her.

"I'm just saying, Kagome-chan may end up a rival for Yoh-kun's affections," Jun stated with an almost teasingly smile. "But I guess you shouldn't too much, Yoh-kun will also have a rival for Kagome-chan too..." With that said, the doshi began to walk away again.

"Anyway, I don't have the right to keep Bailong..." Jun said.

"Wait, please!" Bailong suddenly called to Jun. Bailong turned to his master and stated, "Master, I can not rest in peace just yet. I have to keep pursuing my dreams, even as a kyonshi." With that said he walked up to Jun, who was once again, prevented from leaving. "Tao Jun... I vow to never give into my fury again. So... Will you make me into a kyonshi and allow me to stay by your side?"

Jun was shocked at Bailong's request. After all the horrible things that her family had done to him and after all the terrible things she made him do-! Jun sighed and turned around, offering the freed spirit a tender smile. "Alright," she replied. "But this time... without the charm." she stated.

With that said, the two began to walk off together. Bailong looked forward his shoulder and waved to Yoh and the others as he went. "Goodbye, Asakura Yoh! May we meet again someday!"

Yoh grinned and waved goodbye to the doshi and kyonshi," goodbye, Jun, Bailong! Good luck!!!"

"Give my apologies and thanks to Higurashi Kagome as well when she awakens," Bailong called out as the two disappeared into the darkness...

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Saturday night... It was a Saturday night and the night after the showdown with Tao Jun and Li Bailong... Kagome sighed as she lowered herself into the hot springs . She deeply regretted falling unconscious in the midst of the battle; she had missed the entire ending-! Yoh and Manta described what happened excitedly to her the moment she woke up that morning. It sounded like such a nice, happy ending... Hearing about was just not enough, she wanted to see the free Li Bailong with her very own eyes and now-! "I can't do that," Kagome stated with a sigh.

"They say talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity," Anna stated as she entered the hot spring. Kagome blinked at the other girl, but said nothing.

"Anna-san... I heard you helped Yoh-kun after all," Kagome said, trying to strike up conversation so tonight's bath did not turn out as odd as the last one. She had not talked to the spiritual medium about the battle yet so Kagome figured it was fresh topic to chat about.

"Yeah, what about it?" Anna asked.

Kagome sweat dropped and laugh nervously at Anna's response. "Well, I'm just wondering... why?"

"Because..." Anna began. "Yoh had almost reached his limit with the Hyoi Gattai and at the time, Bailong was out of control and had to be stopped immediately."

"I see," Kagome blinked. "So that means..." The priestess offered a friendly smile to the spiritual medium and asked, "You were worried after all and you do care."

Anna did not reply, she only looked down at the steaming water for a moment and then looked Kagome in the eye and stated, "Speaking of which, Higurashi. I forgot to tell you."

Kagome blinked again, wondering what it could be that Anna forgot to say to her. "Yes?" she asked, blinking her blue-gray eyes curiously.

"You didn't do too bad," Anna said straightforwardly.

Kagome blinked.

Another blink...

Then Kagome's eyes widened and a big smile appeared on her face as her eyes shined happily. "You really so?!" Kagome asked eagerly. "So you're saying I did good, right?" she asked quickly. Without even waiting for a response, Kagome closed her eyes and smiled to herself proudly and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well it's about time you noticed, Anna-san." she said teasingly.

'Anna-san... This is proof just how caring you are, even though you show it an odd way.' Kagome thought to herself. 'I think... Anna-san likes me more because for once, I protected Yoh-kun... It's like I proved myself to her... Not that that was my intention back then though.'

Anna gave Kagome a blank stare and said, "Don't get carried away, Kagome." The spiritual medium brought to thoughtful priestess back into reality with her words.

Kagome gasped sharply. 'Did she just...?' _Smile?! _Okay, it was a bit on the smirkish side, but it still counted!

"What's with the goofy grin?" Anna asked.

"You called me Kagome for the first time," Kagome stated with a soft smile.

"No I didn't." Anna replied.

Kagome twitched. "You did too!"

"You're mistaken."

"Am not! Say it again!"

"I never said it in the first place."

"Just admit it!"

"Shut it."

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

The next morning, Anna allowed Yoh and Kagome another day off of training; but she promised that the next rounding of training would be tougher. But that did not matter right; all that mattered was that all was peaceful and nice on this warm, sunny Sunday morn- _Knock! Knock! Knock! _Anna, Kagome, and Yoh had been lazing around the kotatsu, watching television. The three of them looked at each other in unison when they heard the knock.

Manta called from the hallway, "I'm too busy waxing to get the door!" Yup. That got him off the hook. 'Why the hell am I the only cleaning anyway?!' he thought to himself.

"Get the door, dobe." Anna said without bothering to take her eyes off the TV screen.

Kagome huffed and replied as she got to her feet, "It was Kagome last night."

"It never was Kagome."

Kagome sighed and then walked out of the room and towards the doorway. "How is it?" she asked as she slid the traditional Japanese door open. She looked up and screamed in horror at the sight of-

"R-Ryu?!"

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

"Please! Let me be your student!" Ryu requested of Yoh as he got down on all fours and bowed before the young shaman.

"I-I still don't know what he's doing here!" Kagome exclaimed as she inched towards the nearest exit.

Manta replied with an embarrassed smile, "I guess we forgot to mention that Ryu helped us out the other night."

"How could leave out such an important detail?!" Kagome exclaimed. No one replied. They were too focused on Ryu.

Yoh blinked and asked pointing a single finger at his body, "Are you asking me?"

Ryu looked up at Yoh and inquired, "Who else would I be asking?! Please! I want to become a shaman too!"

Manta anime fell; together with Kagome, Ryu was the second person who spontaneously decided that they wanted to become a shaman.

One of Ryu's followers whispered to Manta and Kagome from the sidelines, "Ryu was very touched by Yoh-san's fight."

Another follower looked at his fellow gang members and stated, "This will be a long story, ain't it?" They all nodded in a knowing consensus as Ryu began his tale.

"There's no room in housing or society for me..." Ryu began solemnly. "What enjoyment is there in riding my bike with my friends? Even then, I need money for gasoline." He stated with downcast eyes. "The world is pretty harsh place." Yoh and Anna exchanged looks; Yoh looking at Anna, searching for her approval and Anna not looking quite convinced yet. "Whenever I'm on my bike, I think to myself... _Where did I come from? Where am I going? _I ride like a madman on the never ending highways. I believe that if I keep riding, I'll have to end up somewhere." Ryu gave the inhabitants of the Asakura mansion and Manta a melancholy, pitiful smile. "What I'm trying to say is... I have the heart of a traveler with nowhere to go... That's all." Then he took a long sip of his hospitality tea.

Everyone just stared at him.

"Okay, what the hell are you trying to say?!" Manta asked, asking for everyone else because no one had a clue what Ryu was getting at.

Ryu was back on his hands and knees. "Master!" Ryu said. Yoh gasped. "During your fight, I saw a real man! As a man, becoming a shaman is the only path for me!" he exclaimed. "Please..." he lowered his head to the floor. "Allow me to become your student! I beg of you!"

"What a difficult question to ask of someone younger than yourself," Manta said, Kagome nodded in agreement.

Yoh scratched his cheek and grinned nervously. "I... don't know what to say."

"Okay." Anna replied. Everyone looked up at Anna in surprise. She smiled and added in, "but only if you pass the test."

"T-Test?!" Kagome asked horrified for the poor man. 'He has no clue what's in store for him!'

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

"It's done, Mistress Anna!" Ryu announced.

Kagome, Manta, Yoh, and Anna filed into the dining room and the trio of best friends were shocked by the sight they were to behold. Ryu had prepared a small feast on the table for them! Kagome was appalled when Yoh and Manta immediately their seats right next to each at the table, excited and ready to taste delicious looking meal. Anna sat down more graciously and calmly.

Kagome's eye twitched when she realized what going on here. "Sit, Higurashi. How can we start if you're standing?" Anna asked. Kagome took her seat across from Yoh, next to Anna.

'Anna-san... you're so shameless!' Kagome thought, still in disbelief. She had been expecting some rigorous test of strength or endurance not- _**this**_! It did look good though.

Yoh, Kagome, and Manta watched as Anna's eyes shifted from one dish to another, deciding on which to try out first. Once her gaze settled for a small pot of yosenabe in front of her, Anna used her chopsticks to pluck a single piece of meat from the hot pot and plopped it into her mouth. She closed her eyes as she slowly chewed, judging every aspect of Ryu's cooking from flavor to texture.

Ryu stared at Anna with expecting, shining eyes and Kagome, Yoh, and Manta watched for Anna's reaction as well.

"Okay, you pass." Anna said as she continues to dine on the meal Ryu prepared for her. "You can start work immediately."

Ryu then to cheer excitedly," Banzai!!! Banzai!!" he exclaimed over and over again while throwing his hands into the air.

"His cooking is preferable compared to you three," Anna stated.

Yoh, Manta, and Kagome gave the oblivious Ryu sympathetic looks. Then they also began to dig into the meal.

"I feel kind of bad for him, he is totally clueless." Manta admitted.

"Don't," Anna stated. "With the addition of him, you've move up on the social pyramid of this house."

Kagome anime fell and wondered aloud, "There's a social pyramid here?!"

"Of course," Anna replied. "From top to bottom it used to be me, Yoh, Higurashi, then shortbread. Now it's me, Yoh, Higurashi, shortbread, and that guy over there." Anna announced.

"Don't mind me, Anna-san, but where are we on this social pyramid?" Amidamaru asked curiously as he and Sesshomaru appeared next to their partners.

Anna stated easily, "With the addition of you two, from top to bottom the pyramid is me, Sesshomaru, Amidamaru, Yoh, Higurashi, shortbread, and that guy over there."

"I'm middle class in this pyramid!" Yoh exclaimed as his jaw dropped in disbelief.

"That's not as bad as being lower class!" Kagome piped in as she and Manta nodded in unison.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

This is your training schedule," Anna informed Ryu as she handed him a sheet of paper with writing on it. "Follow it accordingly."

Ryu looked down at and quickly skimmed through it and replied with a determined smile, "I'll do it. I'll train my hardest to become a strong shaman."

Anna smiled and placed her hand on Ryu's shoulder and gave him an approving look, "That's the spirit." With that said, she walked away, leaving Kagome, Manta, and Ryu in the male hot spring area.

Kagome grabbed a side of the paper and pulled it towards her a little so she could glance at it. "Let me take a look at that- Eh!" Kagome froze on the spot. She read aloud, "Have breakfast ready at 7:30. The rest of the morning is spent cleaning and washing. Have lunch ready by 12 noon. Break time is from 1 to 2. After that, wash the bath."

One of Ryu's followers that still hung around for some reason asked suspiciously, "What part of this is training?!"

"That Anna girl is so scandalous!" another piped up.

The first follower called to Ryu as his leader used a mop to scrub the bath area with Manta and Kagome. "Hey Ryu-san..."

"Shut up!" Ryu grunted. "I'm too busy training to talk right now."

"But this isn't training, it's just cleaning a bath," the second follower with a plump, round belly and shiny bald head said.

"You just don't understand," Ryu replied. "This is fantastic training!"

"Ryu..." Kagome sweat dropped while scratching her cheek. "I hate to tell you but-"

"I don't want to hear anymore about it, you guys don't understand that moves aren't taught to students by their Masters, but students must steal the moves," Ryu explained confidently. "I'll steal some moves when the time comes." Ryu then looked sharply at Kagome as she stopped bending over and wiped sweat from her forehead. She smiled contently to herself when she foudn the job had been done. "But what I don't understand is why a girl cleaning the men's bath."

Kagome gasped and sweat dropped when Ryu cupped her hands, dropping his cleaning tools and making her drop hers. "Kagome-sama, a fair maiden such as you should not demean yourself with a peasant's work."

"Heh heh," Kagome blushed a bit. "Well, Anna-san doesn't seem to think so."

Ryu released one of her hands and used his free hand to place his hand over his heart and stated valiantly," you go rest and leave all of the cleaning and washing to me!"

"Oh but Ryu-" Kagome tried to protest.

"I assure you that I handle both yours and my share of weight!" Ryu insisted.

One of Ryu's followers cupped a hand over Kagome's ear and whispered, "Just let him have his way. This is one of ways of _being a man_."

Kagome nodded in understanding and gave Ryu a grateful, "Thank you so much. I appreciate your zealousness." She stated with a serious face. But on the inside she had no clue what she was doing. Manta's eye twitched when he saw Ryu and his followers' big Kagome goodbye as she went to do something other than chores.

'Kagome-chan ditched me!' He shouted on the inside.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Now Ryu, his followers, and Manta were peering around the corner at Kagome and Yoh who were sitting side by side, legs crossed Indian style with their eyes closed and peaceful looks on their faces.

"What are they doing?" one of bald follower asked confusedly.

"They're obviously meditating to find their inner peace," Ryu replied matter-of-factly.

Manta nodded to himself and crossed his arms, "It's true that shamans need to have peace of mind in order for them to achieve perfect mergence with their spirits."

"See? I knew it!" Ryu stated.

"But in Yoh-kun's case..." Manta continued but then trailed off.

They watched as Kagome opened her eyes and looked over at Yoh and tapped him on the shoulder, "Yoh-kun, it's been about an hour now, we should start sparring now." Kagome blinked and then shook Yoh's shoulders. "Hey, Yoh-kun!!!" she said annoyed.

"Amazing," Ryu stated. "Master Yoh is in such a deep meditated state that not even being physically shaken can awaken him!"

That was when Yoh slowly peeked one eye and grinned at Kagome before yawning and stretching, "Ah, Kagome-chan. Sorry, I fell asleep."

Everyone fall over at this. Kagome growled in frustration before pinching Yoh's face and tugging at his skin. "Yoh-kun... You mean while I was meditating all this time, you were sleeping?!"

"Ahhhh, gomen gomen, Kagome-chan! But it was so peaceful and quiet that I couldn't help it!!!"

"I'm definitely telling Anna-san about this!"

"No way! That's so unnecessary!!!" Yoh retorted.

"And how do you explain that, Ryu-san?" one of his follower asked skeptically as they proceeded to watch Kagome torture Yoh with noogies and bonking him on the head repeatedly.

"Simple," Ryu explained. "Master Yoh is only pretending to be a complete moron by day, but by night, the true training begins."

'Ryu's so good natured,' Manta thoughtfully while smiling.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Ryu's jaw dropped when Kagome enter the kitchen wearing a yellow apron over her clothes, matching slippers, and a bandana over her hair, which she wore down as she usually did. "K-Kagome-sama, what are you doing? It's my job to prepare the meals!" He stated while Kagome begin to shop some imported Chinese cabbage on a chopping board.

Kagome briefly ceased in her chopping and smiled brightly at Ryu, "I know but you've been working so hard for the past few days and besides, you always help me out with my chores. I'm returning the favor!" she replied. She then proceeded to continue to chop the cabbage. "We're making sukiyaki tonight, right?"

"Y-Yeah," Ryu nodded. "Okay... You cut the vegetables and I'll start on the brew."

"Alright!" Kagome chirped cheerfully. As the two proceeded to work together on this night's dinner like busy bees, Kagome could not help but feel warm on the inside. It felt they were forming a ragtag family of some sorts. It was even better because Manta might has well have lived with them too now, he hardly ever went home. "Say Ryu..."

"Yeah?" he asked while putting a pot of boiling water on the stove then began to search the cupboards for the soy sauce and sugar.

"How long do you think you'll be staying here?" Kagome asked curiously. "I mean- how long do you plan to erm... study under Yoh-kun?"

"As long as I need to before I become my own man and a great shaman," Ryu replied with a forlorn smile. He added the soy sauce and sugar to the water and allowed the mixture to slowly simmer for a moment. He then looked at Kagome and asked a question of his own," and what about you? What exactly are you going here?"

Kagome paused for a moment. "Truthfully..." she admitted with a sad smile, "I'm not quite sure yet. Sesshomaru is my main spirit."

"Eh-? The cold spirit with the gold eyes that give me the chills whenever he's around?!" Ryu asked in disbelief.

Kagome nodded and continued, "Yeah, him... Anyway, he and Anna-san have some sort of deal going on between them. I used to have a house of my own a little way from here but Sesshomaru had me pack up and move in here with Yoh-kun and Anna-san... I guess it's not so bad because my mother doesn't have to stress about paying for two houses now that I live here. And even better I can spend all the time I want with Yoh-ku-!" Kagome blushed and placed her hand over her mouth.

Ryu looked with Kagome with wide eyes and he asked, "You and Master Yoh... Do you have a special relationship?"

Kagome blushed and immediately turned back to the task at hand to hide her embarrassment. "I-It's not like that at all!" she protested weakly and unconvincingly. "Y-Yoh-kun is just my best friend! And before I moved in with him- I mean _them_, I hardly got to see him anymore because of Anna-san's training! A-A-And I'm just happy that that's changed now!"

"Hmm..." Ryu said thoughtfully while continuing at his task as well. "As far as I know, Master Yoh and Mistress Anna are engaged to married. It would be problematic if Kagome-sama fell in love with him..." he mumbled to himself.

"What did you say?" Kagome asked curiously while peering over Ryu's shoulder.

"Nothing at all!" he lied. "And what about you and Manta...?" he asked curiously.

"Manta-kun is my best friend too," Kagome said with a big smile. "And believe it or not, Manta-kun has a secret admirer at school!" she chirped happily.

"What?! Really?!" Ryu asked surprisedly. "What is she like?!"

"Well, she's actually a pretty cute girl and she's sweet and shy," Kagome said while tapping her chin to bring images of Manta's secret admirer to mind. "I think they would quite cute together but when I tried to explain it to him he-"

_Both Manta and Yoh blinked in confusion when Kagome sat back in her seat. "What girl are you talking about?" they asked in perfect unison._

_Kagome blushed and glared at them before whispering harshly, "Do I have to spell it out for you? Don't make me say it out loud like this." That was when something clicked inside the two boys' heads. Yoh scratched his head and laughed awkwardly at the thought while Manta only blushed and lowered his head to avoid Kagome's gaze. Kagome frowned, obviously unpleased by their reactions especially Manta's…_

_"Even if the situation makes you feel uncomfortable," Kagome stated boldly while drawing closer to Manta's face, which even made Yoh go red. "You can't just ignore it!"_

_Manta then quickly and quietly closed his math textbook and stood up from his seat. "Excuse me." He said as politely as possible before dragging Yoh out of the classroom. Kagome only blinked at their reactions and then frowned again, realizing he just avoided the subject._

"He ran away?" Ryu asked.

"Yeah," Kagome nodded solemnly.

"Perhaps... He already has another girl in his heart," Ryu suggested. Besides spirits, he was the oldest person that resided in the Asakura residence. He was much more knowledgeable when it came to such things as love. He could already foretell the many romantic complications that were brewing around Kagome and her friends... But he sighed and shook his head, deciding not to keep his mouth closed about the matter. They were only thirteen-year-olds after all... They were confused and high-strung already.

"Another girl?" Kagome blinked. "I guess that's possible... But... Manta-kun has never mentioned a girl that he liked before..."

"Guys generally don't talk about girls to girls," Ryu stated. "Even if they're friends, it's just something guys keep between guys."

"I see... Just like there things that girls keep between girls, right?" Kagome asked.

Ryu ruffled her hair and smiled down at her, "You've got it."

"Ah!" Kagome smiled. "With all this talking, time flew by fast- Dinner's ready!" she exclaimed excitedly.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

"Yoh-kun, Kagome-chan," Manta smiled. "Thanks for coming shopping with me this late!"

"No problem!" Yoh replied with a grin as they walked down the dark streets.

"Yeah, midnight shopping is so fun and exciting!" Kagome exclaimed with a smile of her own. "I feel like an adult being out so late with only my friends!"

"But you know you're two are going to get into trouble with Anna-san for using the change to buy snacks for yourselves!" Manta stated matter-of-factly.

Kagome and Yoh exchanged smiles and Yoh replied, "Nah, we'll be fine. You were in charge of the money so you're the one who's going to get in trouble."

Manta fell at this, "And I'm the only one without a snack?!" he screamed in frustration. "You guys are bad guys!!!"

"Sorry, Manta-kun," Kagome said with a smile. "Yoh-kun seduced me to the darkside so I couldn't help myself!"

Yoh whined at Kagome, "Don't blame that on me! I saw the way you were eyeballing those dango!!!"

"I was only glancing at them!" Kagome said defensively. "Everyone saw how you drooled over that popsicle!"

"Let's just say you're both evil gluttons," Manta said. The trio shared a hearty laugh but it was quickly cut short when they halted at the sight of a snowman in the middle of the road.

"What on earth is a snowman doing here?" Kagome asked.

"It's summer, right?" Manta asked in a deadpanned tone. Things were always wacky these days.

"Hey, you guys," Yoh stated as he knelt beside someone lying against a tree on the side of the road. "What's this?"

"Eh!" Kagome and Manta shrieked in unison. "That's a person!" they said in unison.

"I wonder if he's dead or alive?! Maybe he's injured or dying right now?! Should we call an ambulance?!" Manta yelled while tugging at his hair panicky.

"Calm down, Manta-kun," Kagome said as she knelt down in front of the fallen person. He was a boy around their age with spiky ice blue hair. He wore clothes with odd blue and red patterns on it and a headband on his forehead. "It looks like he's only unconscious..." she said, "And there's the clear signs of injury. What do you think, Yoh-kun?"

Yoh laughed and pointed a finger at the boy, "Ha ha ha, he has such a funny hairstyle!"

"That's not what you're supposed to do to someone who needs help!!!" Manta yelled.

"Now, now," Yoh laughed it off and replied, "I know just what to do." Yoh then hooked a thin sliced piece of beef on a fishing hook and held it out in front of the unconscious's boy face.

"What are you doing?! That beef is expensive!" Manta shrieked. "And where the hell did you get a fishing rod from?!"

Kagome only watched curiously as the boy's nose twitched and sniffed the beef in front of his face. Kagome and Manta screamed and jumped back when suddenly the boy latched onto the beef with his teeth and Yoh jumped back too and yanked on the rod so hard that the boy was sent crashing into the snowman. It was then that Manta noticed the snowboard that boy carried along with him.

"Whew," Yoh sighed, "What a tough opponent." He stated while placing a hand on his hip and using the other to wipe at his forehead. They anime fell.

'Yoh-kun...' Manta thought while twitching on the ground. 'You're as strange as ever...'

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Kagome twitched at the amount of food that the eating machine devoured! She was so glad that it was so late that Anna did not bother to get out of bed even after they came back. There were so many empty dishes lying about the dining room. 'I am so not going to be the one who washes all of these!' she thought to herself.

The boy patted his plump belly with a big satisfied grin on his face,"Oh yeah! That hit the spot!" He sighed with satisfaction. "Thanks, you really saved me. I haven't eaten a thing recently."

"So, why were you lost anyway?" Yoh asked from the other side of the dining table. The stranger sat on one side while Ryu, Manta, Kagome, and Yoh took up the other side.

The blue haired boy sat up and began, "That's because..." He trailed off while making an odd face.

"Because...?" the four others urged him on.

_**Pfft.**_

"Oh God!" Kagome screamed as she, Ryu, and Manta scrambled toward the nearest window, "He farted!!!" They raised it up and quickly stook out their heads and released the breaths they had taken to escape the poisonous gas that the stranger had so easily released.

"Where's Yoh-kun?" Manta asked suddenly. The three of them turned around and paled at the sight of Yoh passed out on the floor.

"He didn't escape fast enough," Ryu said.

The stranger stood up and scratched the back of his head and said, "Oops, sorry! Can I use your bathroom?"

"He's unaffected because it's his own," Manta pointed out. Kagome only nodded and sweat dropped.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Now Kagome, Manta, Yoh, and Ryu were sitting close together almost huddling while their "guest" used the bathroom.

"Master, Master, Master," Ryu whispered. "Don't you smell something about him?" he asked curiously.

Yoh's eyes still wide and twitchy as an after effect of inhaling the stranger's foreign gas. "Yeah, I caught a glimpse of the spiritual realm for a second there..." Yoh then looked up at Ryu, asked, "You're talking about how his fart stunk, right?"

Ryu bowed his head; silently admitting defeat to Yoh's cluelessness. "I mean he smells suspicious, right? A traveler these days, and at your age no less!"

"There's definitely something strange about him but I don't know-. He's not a bad person," Yoh replied in his usual easygoing tone.

Kagome nodded in agreement with Yoh, "Yeah, I don't sense any ill intentions coming from him..."

"Still..."

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" The stranger came running out of the bathroom with his pants still down.

"AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Kagome shrieked too at the sight. Ryu then pulled her small body against his and covered her eyes with one hand.

"What's the problem?!" Manta asked urgently as he ran into the bathroom. The short boy sweat dropped when he saw the spirit of an old man pop his head from inside of the toilet.

"W-Who is that?!" the boy shouted while pointing a shaky finger at the spirit.

Manta explained with an embarrassed smile, "Well, that's Tamegoro-san, the head of the previous family that owned this place... He's harmless."

"See?" Yoh asked Ryu with a grin. "He's totally fine because he can see spirits too!"

Ryu looked down at the pale and stiffened Kagome in his arms and stated, "Okay but I'm not too sure about this one though."

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

The stranger then took his seat at the opposite end of the table again and sat on his instep. "Sorry about the lack of formality before but-" he jabbed his thumb in the direction of his face while grinning. "My name's HoroHoro."

Yoh attempted to stifle a laugh but he could not contain it, "That's a funny name! When you add a dot to the character, it becomes BoroBoro!" Yoh pointed out. "So maybe that's why you're free-!"

"That's a good one, Master!" Ryu piped in as he, Yoh, and even Kagome laughed aloud at the observation.

HoroHoro's cheeks became pink at the joke and he stared as snickers and whispers of "Heh heh, sleaze ball" filled the room.

"It's not nice to laugh!" Manta exclaimed.

The laughter then died and Yoh and Kagome apologized in unison, "Sorry about that..."

"Anyway, I'm Yoh. Asakura Yoh."

"My name is Higurashi Kagome."

"Call me Ryu of the Wooden Sword!"

The introductions finished with Manta smiled pleasantly and stating, "And I'm Oyamada Manta!"

Once HoroHoro got a good look at Manta and suddenly glomped him, exclaiming, "Kururu! I wanted to see! Where'd you go?! I was so lonely!!!"

"What are you talking about?!" Mana yelled back.

....

Another awkward moment brought to you by HoroHoro.

**Chapter 8: The Shocking Conclusion, Ryu's Resolution!**

**Asakura Family Plus TWO?!**

**!ENDS!**

* * *

Authoress' Notes: Yaaaayyyyy! You guys didn't have to wait long for this chapter! No promises about future ones though (sweatdrop)

Anyways, I'm just so happy with everyone who took the time to review; you've all made me very, very happy! So fast update you guys! 3

And- Dang it! I wanted more Ren in this chapter but sadly- not yet. But rejoice, HoroHoro has made his debut. I think Ren has become my favorite character because he is so adorable!!! So definitely more Ren in the near future! Look forward to that Ren/Kag fans!

Oh yes, and I've got a few people wondering whether I was following the anime or the manga. Which is a good question because there are many significant differences between the anime and the manga.

But just so you all know, I am mainly following the anime and adding little hints of elements from the manga here and there, just because I think it fits into the story nice and snuggly... or because I like it better. And yeah, I choose to use Bailong over Pailong because I like Bailong better. Pailong sounds like an Asian dessert, no offense to anyone. So yes, I am **mainly** following the anime's storyline, will add dashes of elements from the manga, and put my own twists on things of course! :D

And yes for one thing, I'm omitting the fight between Yoh and Gei Yin, Ren and Jun's cousin... It just seemed kind of like a filler to me. If a fight between them becomes necessary for the progress of the story though, I will make it so. But don't worry; we'll cross that bridge when we get there! ^-~ And once the entire team assembles, there'll be some Kagome/Harem fun!

This chapter includes a lot of preludes and foreshadowing to more things to look forward to... But I won't say them directly. Either you can figure them out already or you'll just have to find out in later chapters. :D

And oh yes! The poll is back up in my profile. ^-^' I tried to post it before but it did not work for some reason. It's up now though.

Not many people voted because my poll wasn't up in the profile, so I've already got the new votes down and I'll post the results so far in the next chapter!

I've got a lot of fun things in store for you guys so don't give up on this story and keep on reading! You're in for a ride!!!

Thanks for reading and remember to always:

R&R


	9. A Maiden's Tears! Lago Appears! Goodbye?

Authoress Notes: (sigh) Sorry everyone. I've been mucho busy because I have ACT's, AP exams, and IB exams next week and the next few weeks too. So I'm like knee deep in upcoming important exams to do up until early May. :( I won't be able to do much until all of my exams over... So much studying... YYYaaayyyy /sarcasm/ But I have to do this for my future! Yosh!!! 3

Also chapter seven has also been proofread so it's a bigger pleasure to read! 3

Special Chapter Dedication to: Princesa de la Luna! Thanks for being so supportive and devoted! :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King or Inuyasha and claim no rights to them but I DO own this fan fiction story.

* * *

_**Previously on Shaman King…**_

_Now Kagome, Manta, Yoh, and Ryu were sitting close together almost huddling while their "guest" used the bathroom._

_"Master, Master, Master," Ryu whispered. "Don't you smell something about him?" he asked curiously._

_Yoh's eyes still wide and twitchy as an after effect of inhaling the stranger's foreign gas. "Yeah, I caught a glimpse of the spiritual realm for a second there..." Yoh then looked up at Ryu, asked, "You're talking about how his fart stunk, right?"_

_Ryu bowed his head; silently admitting defeat to Yoh's cluelessness. "I mean he smells suspicious, right? A traveler these days, and at your age no less!"_

_"There's definitely something strange about him but I don't know-. He's not a bad person," Yoh replied in his usual easygoing tone._

_Kagome nodded in agreement with Yoh, "Yeah, I don't sense any ill intentions coming from him..."_

_"Still..."_

_"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" The stranger came running out of the bathroom with his pants still down._

_"AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Kagome shrieked too at the sight. Ryu then pulled her small body against his and covered her eyes with one hand._

_"What's the problem?!" Manta asked urgently as he ran into the bathroom. The short boy sweat dropped when he saw the spirit of an old man pop his head from inside of the toilet._

_"W-Who is that?!" the boy shouted while pointing a shaky finger at the spirit._

_Manta explained with an embarrassed smile, "Well, that's Tamegoro-san, the head of the previous family that owned this place... He's harmless."_

_"See?" Yoh asked Ryu with a grin. "He's totally fine because he can see spirits too!"_

_Ryu looked down at the pale and stiffened Kagome in his arms and stated, "Okay but I'm not too sure about this one though."_

_**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**_

_The stranger then took his seat at the opposite end of the table again and sat on his instep. "Sorry about the lack of formality before but-" he jabbed his thumb in the direction of his face while grinning. "My name's HoroHoro."_

_Yoh attempted to stifle a laugh but he could not contain it, "That's a funny name! When you add a dot to the character, it becomes BoroBoro!" Yoh pointed out. "So maybe that's why you're free-!"_

_"That's a good one, Master!" Ryu piped in as he, Yoh, and even Kagome laughed aloud at the observation._

_HoroHoro's cheeks became pink at the joke and he stared as snickers and whispers of "Heh heh, sleaze ball" filled the room._

_"It's not nice to laugh!" Manta exclaimed._

_The laughter then died and Yoh and Kagome apologized in unison, "Sorry about that..."_

_"Anyway, I'm Yoh. Asakura Yoh."_

_"My name is Higurashi Kagome."_

_"Call me Ryu of the Wooden Sword!"_

_The introductions finished with Manta smiled pleasantly and stating, "And I'm Oyamada Manta!"_

_Once HoroHoro got a good look at Manta and suddenly glomped him, exclaiming, "Kururu! I wanted to see! Where'd you go?! I was so lonely!!!"_

_"What are you talking about?!" Mana yelled back._

_...._

_Another awkward moment brought to you by HoroHoro._

**Chapter 9: A Maiden's Tears! Lago Appears!**

**Does It Mean Goodbye?!**

Ryu was sniffling and fighting back tears, Kagome had eyes that were shining with admiration and tears, Manta looked at HoroHoro sympathetically, and Yoh literally had waterfalls pouring from his eyes when HoroHoro finished his tale of how he came to be in Tokyo. Apparently he came to Tokyo to do something important all the way from the plains of the Ainu tribe in the North- something that he did not specify on but no one pushed it- and made money by selling folk craft, but once he arrived in Tokyo his belonging were stolen and he eventually ended up where Kagome, Manta, and Yoh found him.

"HoroHoro-kun that's so sad," Kagome said sympathetically. "I admire how strong you are for lasting this long on your own."

"Yeah," Yoh sobbed while fruitlessly wiping away at his crocodile tears. "You've lived a hard life, BoroBoro!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah that's true..." HoroHoro began to say but then something clicked inside his head. "But who is BoroBoro?!" He chucked a teacup at Yoh's forehead and made the mark easily.

"Yoh-kun," Kagome and Manta sweatdropped. "That joke is pretty old..."

Yoh quickly recovered and sat up swiftly and put on a solemn but friendly face, "well you can stay here until you get your belongings back."

"Really?!" HoroHoro asked with sparkling eyes.

"Yeah," Yoh nodded with a smile. "This place used to be a motel so there are plenty of rooms, so that means you can stay as long as you'd like."

Now Ryu could not fight back waterfall tears of his own, "Master Yoh is such a great master!!!" He exclaimed with balled up fists.

"T-Thank you so much." HoroHoro responded with tears of gratitude in his eyes.

Suddenly the door slide open and Anna came stomping, "No!" she said. Everyone froze.

"Anna-san," Kagome began. "HoroHoro-kun is helpless right now. He has no money and nowhere to go. "

"Yeah," Yoh said, trying to reason with Anna. "BoroBoro is like a hobo now!"

"It's HoroHoro..." said teen mumbled.

"Fine," Anna sighed, giving in surprisingly easily. "But if you want to stay, you have to do everything I say."

HoroHoro sat up, made a fist and said determinedly, "No problem!"

"First you have to wash the dishes and clean the kitchen, tomorrow you'll sweep, scrub, and wax the floor, and the bath should be ready by..." Anna went on listing things for HoroHoro to do.

Kagome sweat dropped, "looks like Anna has another vassal."

"I'm sorry, BoroBoro," Yoh whispered apologetically.

"It looks like we've all move up on the social pyramid again..." Manta joked.

That was when Kagome and Yoh began to thoughtfully count on their fingers to calculate what their social class was now... Kagome then smiled and cheered, "Yatta! I'm finally middle class!"

"Lower middle-class," Yoh added in. Kagome winced.

"Thanks for that..." she said in deadpanned voice.

"And Manta-kun, you're now the upper lower-class!" Kagome exclaimed with a smile.

"You're acting like this actually defines our character," Manta sweat dropped.

HoroHoro then leaned close to Yoh and whispered, "by the way, your sister seems to have a strict personality..."

Yoh chuckled and began, "no, Anna's-"

"I'm not his sister, I'm his fiancée," Anna cut in before leaving to her room.

HoroHoro turned in stone... then cracked.

And suddenly he decided that his life was over.

"These guys are... my age... and engaged... And I... And I don't even have a girlfriend yet!" HoroHoro exclaimed while imagining Yoh and Anna do romantic things like ride on a single bicycle and kiss under a golden sunset. He was on his hands and knees as if he were suddenly completely defeated. "Ah!" He suddenly popped up again.

"If Anna is your fiancée, then what is she?" HoroHoro asked while rudely sticking his finger in front of Kagome's face, pointing at her.

Kagome smiled and replied, "Oh, I'm just-"

"My second wife," Yoh said cheerfully with a big grin on his face, his arm wrapped around Kagome's shoulders.

Steam blew from Kagome's head as her face overloaded with hot blood.

"Se-Se-Second WIFE?!" HoroHoro shouted in shocked, his jaw dropping to the ground. "Bigamy?!" Yoh did not seem like the type of person who would- Now HoroHoro envisioned Yoh sleeping in bed with Kagome cuddling him from his left side and Anna on his right, straddling his waist. "He has TWO wives and I don't even have a GIRLFRIEND?!"

Even the air around him turned cold, "Yoh Asakura... You truly are a formidable foe."

Manta laughed and waved his hand soothingly, "HoroHoro, Yoh-kun was only pulling your leg about Kagome-chan."

Kagome, having finally recovered but still blushing, glared at Yoh and unconsciously pouted, "Yoh-kun, you shouldn't go and say such hasty things to people."

Yoh laughed and responded honestly, "I know, I know but BoroBoro is so much funnier when he's in shock."

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

The very next day HoroHoro found himself sweeping the Asakura grounds, just as Anna instructed. He grinned to himself when Anna walked past him with her purse swung over her shoulder, without a word of goodbye she turned around the gate to set off to wherever it was she was going. HoroHoro then dropped the broom and quickly peered around to corner and-

"Eh-... Anna..." He whispered when he came face to face with the blond haired girl who stared at him with stony eyes.

Within the blink of an eye, she accosted him by his face and yelled, "NO GOOD FREELOADERS SHOULDN'T SLACK OFF ON THEIR WORK!!!" She threw him into a brick wall. With that said, Anna walked away, but not before sending HoroHoro another glare that told him not to try anything funny again... or else.

HoroHoro huffed as he began sweeping again. "What a violent girl..." he grumbled angrily. "I'll be damned if I choose a girl like that for a girlfriend..." He sighed while deflating, shoulders slumping in depression. "Not that I have a girlfriend..."

...

_**Click!**_

"THAT'S IT!!!" HoroHoro exclaimed. He had a solution- or rather, a savior. The teen once again forsaken the broom as he quickly turned around, scanning the area, searching- There! Walking towards the bath area with Ryu and carrying a sponge-headed mop was- "Ka-Go-Me-CCChhhaaaannnnn!!!"

Kagome blinked then screamed when she saw the latest addition to the Asakura house charging toward her with passionate, gleaming eyes. "Waaaaahhhhhhhhhh!" Kagome was shocked and could do nothing when HoroHoro, who wrapped his arms around her waist, suddenly tackled her. "What are you doing, HoroHoro-kkkuuunnnn?!"

_**BAM!!!**_

"Oowww," Kagome moaned, "my butt..." She landed on the ground with HoroHoro on top of her, still holding onto her waist. "What's this about this, HoroHoro-kun?" She asked while he sat up and grinned.

"Kagome-chan," he began while taking her hands within his. "You're the one." He stated seriously.

"Eh heh..." Kagome chuckled confusedly. "The... one? What do you mean?"

"Kagome-chan," HoroHoro began. "You're not Yoh's wife, right?"

"No, I thought we cleared that up last night."

"Then you're perfect for being my girlfriend!" HoroHoro said with such a straight yet so sincere face.

"WWhhhhaaaattt?!" Kagome and the forgotten Ryu exclaimed in unison.

"Hey you guys, what's going on down there?" Yoh suddenly called from a window, startling the trio below because they feared it was Anna who was yelling at them... again.

Before Kagome or Ryu could say anything at all, HoroHoro informed Yoh proudly and cheerfully, "Yoh, Kagome-chan is my girlfriend now!"

Yoh winced at hearing this and then his expression turned into one of utter shock, "Ehhhh? Really?!" he asked surprised.

"Of course no-!" Kagome tried to say.

"Yeah! It suddenly hit me that she was the one for me and well- here we are!" HoroHoro called back.

"Kagome-chan, I didn't know you were on the market," Manta suddenly said while poking his head out of a window next to Yoh's.

"I'm not!" Kagome exclaimed fruitlessly.

"Well of course not _now_ but-" Manta began to say.

"Anyway," Yoh said with a big smile. "Are you guys ready to go look for HoroHoro's stuff?"

"Huh? Oh that's right!" HoroHoro exclaimed. "I'm all for it!" He then got up, dusted his self off and pulled Kagome to her feet. "Alright! Let's do this!"

Kagome sighed and sobbed inwardly as HoroHoro pulled her by the hand and lead her inside to change into their outside shoes, 'God... Why do these strange things always happen to me...?'

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

The four of them ended up resting on a bench after searching for a few hours. Kagome even had to gull to walk up to random strangers and ask them if they had seen HoroHoro's lost possessions, but ended up with no leads nonetheless.

"I'm sorry BoroBoro, it looks like we've failed..." Yoh stated with an embarrassed smile.

"Who the hell is BoroBoro, anyway?" HoroHoro replied. He then sighed as he sank into the bench a bit more. "It's alright. I guess we'll just have to continue our search tomorrow."

Kagome looked at her cell phone for the time and stated, "it's only three o clock, there's still plenty of time to search a bit more today."

"But I'm pooped!" Yoh protested. He then blanched when Kagome sent him a blank stare.

"I'm starting to side with Anna-san, Yoh-kun..." Kagome announced in a deadpanned tone.

The Yoh, Manta, and HoroHoro then screamed, scrambled around, and then hid behind a nearby lamppost and sent her suspicious looks.

"Kagome-chan, if that's the case then..." Manta trailed off before his eye twitched.

"We can't hang out anymore," Yoh added in.

"And we can't be together!" HoroHoro piped.

Kagome sweat dropped while waving her hand at them, "Obviously it was a joke."

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Somehow they ended up here... on Crow Hill in the cemetery where they met Amidamaru and where they always used to hang out before Anna came along. The sun was setting now. Even with the addition of HoroHoro, Kagome could not help but smile softly and feel nostalgic. It was such a nice day and the sky was lit with the bright orange farewell of the sun.

"Hey guys... This sunset is pretty amazing, huh?" Kagome asked absently.

Yoh and Manta nodded and smiled in unison, feeling the nostalgia of when they first became friends as well.

HoroHoro grinned as he suddenly stood up with balled up fist. "Of course it is! Nature is always amazing and beautiful! But..." He sighed and his attitude suddenly deflated. "Thanks to humans, we can't enjoy the fullness of nature anymore... Not even the Koro Pokkuru are safe anymore... Thanks to humans and all of their industrialization..."

Kagome gasped when she heard HoroHoro's words and his voice and tone... It reminded her of someone she had not seen or thought about in a long time.

_'Maybe that wasn't such a good idea?' she continued to question herself. 'I wonder if Yoh-kun and Manta-kun are watching the same stars I am right now…' She absently swung her legs back and forth slowly, causing her hair to swish like so as the swing did. She was watching the stars at an empty playground across the street from her house._

_Kagome sighed again before smiling at the sky, trying to cheer herself up. "Well… At least the stars are pretty." What she did not expect was a young, unfamiliar voice to suddenly agree with her._

_"Yes they are, but these stars are nothing compared to what they could be." A boy replied as he suddenly appeared from the moon's shadow. Kagome gasped softly when the moonlight suddenly revealed a boy who was staring at the sky with a grim expression on his face to her. His skin was nicely tanned but not overly so, his purple hair was worn tongari style, and his eyes were beautiful and yet piercingly sharp. He turned to look at her and time just seemed to stand still at that moment…_

_"…Y-Yeah…" Kagome slowly agreed. "I know. I heard that the stars are much brighter out in the countryside. The light pollution of the city hides the stars from us city goers." The boy said nothing for a moment and Kagome took the moment to study him… His aura was similar to Yoh's yet it was different somehow. Kagome just could not place her finger on it._

_"Not only that," boy suddenly said with a suddenly deep anger in his voice. "The stars are much brighter in the country because they are happier there. The corruption of humans and cities do not touch those lands!!!"_

_Kagome was taken aback by his outburst and she replied carefully, "I don't think humans are all that bad…"_

_The boy then glared at her, he was probably unaware of the nasty look on his face, or perhaps he did not care. "I half agree. Not all humans are evil, but most of them are! There are very few innocents out there, especially in the city."_

_That was when Kagome suddenly asked a question that was so out of the blue that it surprised even her. "Are you a shaman?" she asked. She then placed her hand over her mouth. She instinctively closed her eyes to avoid the boy's gaze. Silence… Her only response was silence… Kagome peeked one eye open and then blinked in confusion. He was gone. She looked left and right and did not spot him._

_"Huh? Where'd he go?" she asked herself out loud. "Was I… dreaming?" she queried. The young girl then stretched and decided to go to bed before it got so late that she would not wake up for school the next day._

'He sort of has views similar to Tao Ren...' Kagome thought to herself. 'I've always felt HoroHoro-kun is a bit abnormal but... Is it even possible that he's...'

"So your dream is to start an anti-industrialization movement." Manta stated.

HoroHoro anime fell. "No way! I'm not here for that _or_ to be a comedian!"

"But I think you'd make a great comedian." Yoh pointed out honestly.

"I agree," Kagome nodded.

"Shut up already!" HoroHoro exclaimed. "My dream is **much**, _**much**_ bigger!!!"

"So what is it anyway?" Kagome asked.

"I'm glad you asked my dear lady," HoroHoro chuckled while cockily brushing his thumb against his nose. "My dream is to create a land of coltsfoot!!!"

...

The trio shrank away while Manta whispered to Kagome and Yoh, "tiny... It's tiny after all."

HoroHoro sobbed and exclaimed, "it is not! It's for the Koro Pokurru!"

Yoh then placed a hand on HoroHoro's shoulder as waterfall tears dripped from his eyes too, "HoroHoro, you're such a nice guy!"

Manta and Kagome anime fell and once Manta recovered, he stated, "but HoroHoro, if that's your dream, I don't think Tokyo is the place to do it a-"

"No, this is definitely the place I need to be," HoroHoro cut in seriously. "You probably wouldn't understand if I explained it to you, but trust me. Tokyo is the place to be."

'Could it be for the Shaman Fights in Tokyo...?' Kagome wondered. 'Should I ask him...?' Kagome then looked at Yoh and nodded affirmatively to her. She then lowered her head. 'So Yoh-kun knew too... I guess it's... okay then.'

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

A few days had passed.

Ryu and Manta had more relaxing time because Anna was now giving HoroHoro a very hard time with chores.

"Anna-san," Kagome stated from in front of the table. "Shouldn't Ryu and I help HoroHoro-kun? He's been working to the bone lately."

Anna sipped her tea and stated, "you and I know both know very well why I'm not going easy on that guy."

Manta blinked and asked, "Really? Why?"

"Because he's a shaman," Anna said bluntly. "And there are only two reasons why a shaman would be here of all places at this time... To enter the Shaman Fights or to eliminate other contestants."

Kagome then stood up and slammed her hands on the tabletop. "Guys! We're in trouble! They're here!"

"Who's here?!" Yoh asked while grabbing a wooden sword that was leaning against the wall behind him. Amidamaru then appeared as Ryu rushed into the room.

"M-M-Master Yoh! He's gone! HoroHoro is gone!" Ryu yelled frantically.

"Sesshomaru!" Kagome called, her partner appeared at her will for once. "I think HoroHoro-kun is in trouble."

"It is none of our business." Sesshomaru stated.

Kagome anime fell, "what a great partner you are..." she said sarcastically.

Yoh slipped on his sandals while running out the front door, he looked over his shoulder and called, "Kagome-chan! Let's go!"

"Right!" she replied while slipping on shoes as well while she was followed closely by Ryu, Manta, and Anna.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

They found HoroHoro on a glowing snowboard surrounded by twenty familiar kyonshi.

"Those are the Tao family's kyonshi!" Manta exclaimed. "But why?!"

"He was deceiving us after all," Anna stated.

That was when the steel clawed corpses rushed HoroHoro all at once and he turned to them all and yelled, "you guys get back! They're **my** enemy!"

Yoh merged with Amidamaru nonetheless while Kagome called forth the Crescent to her hands. With a single swipe of Yoh's sword and a single arrow from Kagome, the enemy was defeated before HoroHoro had the chance to attack.

"Yoh, you're a shaman too?" HoroHoro asked.

"Yeah? Both Kagome-chan and I are-" Yoh looked at Kagome and Sesshomaru, who were standing side by side, "well sort of."

"Did you have to add that at the end?!" Kagome yelled while blushing. "It's not my fault that this guy agreed to be my spirit but refuses to join with me!"

That was when a small spirit that looked like a sprite emerged from behind HoroHoro's leg. She was about the size of a crayon.

"A relative of yours, Manta?" Anna asked.

"How rude!!!" Manta replied.

Ryu and Kagome exclaimed with sparkly eyes, "she's adorable!"

"Yeah, she's cute but-," Yoh agreed. Yoh pointed at a new barrage of kyonshi that was charging at them. "They're coming."

HoroHoro smirked and looked at Kagome, causing her to blush involuntarily, "Kagome-chan, watch this!" Everyone watched in amazement as Kororo merged with HoroHoro's snowboard, causing it to glow an icy blue light. He then soared into the air onto of the possessed snowboard and finished off the rest of the kyonshi with a barrage of ice shards that froze them on the spot.

"Until now I only thought that Master Yoh was strong but now..." Ryu whispered in amazement. "I see that other shamans have amazing powers too..."

Kagome nodded, breath taken by HoroHoro's performance, "that was incredible..." was all she could say.

"Falling in love?" Manta asked teasingly with a small smile.

Kagome's eye twitched and Manta laughed nervously before running to hide behind Anna, who did not budge under Kagome's fiery gaze. "What is it, dobe?" Anna asked. "I was wondering that same thing."

Kagome had to double take. 'Did Anna-san... Did she just... make a joke?' Kagome smiled widely and stated," and here I thought you broke your funny bone a long time, Anna-_chan_!"

Everyone froze...

It was Anna's turn to double take. She closed her eyes and balled up her fist as an angry vein pulsed on her forehead, "what-did-you-just-call-me?" Anna hissed.

"Anna-chan," Kagome replied simply. "I thought it was about time to drop the -san honorific and go with -chan. It's so much cuter!"

Another vein appeared.

"Do-not-call-me-Anna-chan."

"And you called me Kagome without an honorific in the previous chapter anyway," Kagome continued, counting on her fingers how many reasons she had for addressing Anna by -chan and not -san.

"She did?" the spectators asked in unison.

"No, I didn't." Anna growled before grabbing Manta by the head and throwing him like a boomerang across the area. First he hit Kagome, followed by Yoh, HoroHoro, then Ryu. This left the five of them lying face down on the ground.

Manta was the first to recover. "Why the hell did you take it out on me?!"

"I've found that you're most useful as a projectile weapon," Anna replied.

"You don't treat humans that way!!!"

HoroHoro rubbed his head while getting up and smiled, "well, I apologize for getting you guys involved with my problems."

Kagome blinked, "what do you mean?"

"Well these guys are probably the ones who stole my possessions," HoroHoro explained, gesturing to the frozen kyonshi behind them. "I came here to Tokyo in order to participate in the Shaman Fights but my enemies stole my stuff in order to prevent me from moving along. So... I'm sorry for involving you in my fights." Suddenly HoroHoro held Kagome's hands within his. "Especially you, Kagome-chan." he added.

Kagome laughed embarrassedly before jumping behind Yoh, who grinned at HoroHoro, "well actually these guys are my opponents who come after me frequently."

HoroHoro's jaw dropped at a realization.

"To be frank, _you're_ the one who has gotten involved," Anna stated bluntly.

HoroHoro dropped to his knees, "then if it wasn't these guys- then who stole my stuff?!"

"The answer is simple," Anna replied.

_(The Next Day)_

HoroHoro snuggled and cuddled his sack of possession happily as he and his friends exited the local police station. Anna placed a hand on her hip and said, "that day when you left your belongings to use the bathroom, you left it in the middle of traffic, therefore causing a jam. So the police came and confiscated them to move along traffic as per usual."

'Yesterday when Anna-san when out, she also went out looking for HoroHoro-kun's things...?' Kagome wondered to herself.

"So I guess this is goodbye, huh, HoroHoro?" Manta asked.

HoroHoro smiled and nodded, "but don't worry, I'm sure we'll all meet again in the Shaman Fights." With that said, he turned and began to walk away.

"HoroHoro-kun, good luck!" Kagome called after him, waving goodbye. "Work hard to make your dream come true!"

That was when the snowboarding shaman paused and swiftly looked over his shoulder.

"Eh?" Kagome froze at the look he gave her.

"I almost forgot!" HoroHoro said while running up to her. Without another word, the blue haired boy swiftly and slyly gave the young priestess a peck on her cheek before jogging off again. He looked over his shoulder and waved, "I don't feel too comfortable feeling you behind, Kagome-chan! But I'll definitely come back for you and make you my Shaman Queen, okay?"

Anna's eye twitched at this and she grabbed Manta by the head and threw him at HoroHoro. The human weapon soared a good ten yards before connecting with the target, causing the Ainu shaman to fall over. "The only one who'll be Shaman Queen is me!"

Yoh laughed nervously and patted Anna on the shoulder to soothe her, "Anna... Don't get so riled up..." He then recoiled when Anna turned her angry glare to him.

"Your training will become twice as hard from now on!"

"No fair!!!"

Ryu placed a hand on top of the still shocked priestess's head. Kagome blushed as she reached up and gingerly touched her warm, kissed cheek. "Did he just...?"

"Young love..." Ryu whispered with a dreamy sigh.

Kagome paled again. "HoroHoro-kun is not my boyfriend I tell you! Will someone just listen to me?!"

_(That Night...)_

"...W-What?!" Kagome paled again when they entered the living room to find HoroHoro eating freshly cut watermelon at the table, wearing a night kimono. Anna pushed past her and stared down at the blue haired boy with a look of pure irritation.

"What are you doing here?" Anna inquired bluntly; the oblivious HoroHoro did not catch the underlying tone of rage and death in her voice.

"Well," he chomped on another piece of watermelon. "I realized I didn't have a place to go so I've decided to stay here for a while longer."

Anna grabbed Manta by the head.

The short boy grimaced, "not again."

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Days had past. Kagome now considered HoroHoro the newest member to their family. Kagome sighed as she, Yoh, and Manta walked towards the store in the middle of the night... again. After HoroHoro made his second debut, Ryu stopped coming home and they could not find him anywhere. She had noticed that he looked a bit depressed after the entire ordeal with HoroHoro but she had ignored it... Now she regretted it. Not only did she miss him, but also she was worried about what could have happened to him or why he did not come home anymore. And it also made things a lot harder of she, Manta, and Yoh again.

Another sigh...

"That's the second time you've sighed within the past thirty seconds, Kagome-chan," Manta noticed. "Is there something bothering you?"

Kagome nodded miserably and admitted, "I don't know... It's just... I'm a bit sad to see our family deteriorate like this..."

"Our family?"

Kagome nodded again and blushed a bit, "I was beginning to think that the people who stayed at Yoh-kun's house with us was like one big happy family of weirdoes."

"Did you have to add that at the end?" Manta asked.

"I was kind of excited to live with so many different, exciting people that were like me but..." Kagome sighed again. "It looks like it was just a fantasy." She then gasped when Yoh suddenly took her hands with his and got so close that their noses were almost touching.

"Don't worry about that, Kagome-chan," he said soothingly. "Someday, the two of us will build a family of our own together."

Kagome and Manta flushed at the ambiguity of Yoh's statement. Manta sweat dropped and laughed embarrassedly, "Yoh-kun, that sounded so wrong..."

Yoh blinked and asked, "What was so wrong about it?"

Kagome laughed too and waved her hands, "oh never mind that, let's hurry up and find a store that's open this late."

"Hold on a sec," Manta said as he suddenly stopped in looked in the direction of an old bowling alley. "Isn't that bowling alley supposed to be closed down? Why are there lights on coming from the inside?"

"Let's go check it out," Yoh stated.

"Guys I have a bad feeling about that place," Kagome said. "I think something bad is going to happen."

"That's more reason to hurry up," Yoh replied with an easy smile.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Yoh, Kagome, and Manta climbed in through a broken window and were surprised to find Ryu's Gang lounging around and having a ball with the old place that still had power for some reason. "Oh, so it was you guys fooling around in here," Yoh said.

Muscle Punch, a member of Ryu's gang turned to them and replied, "Oh! It's Yoh-san, Manta-san, and Kagome-neesan."

Kagome smiled and stated, "I wasn't expecting to find you guys here. So this is your new hangout, huh?" She looked around, scanning the crowd of older teens and asked confusedly, "where's Ryu?"

"Ryu-san?" Muscle Punch asked. "Oh he's right he-! Eh?!" The member of the gang looked left and right. "He was just here a minute ago! Where could he have gone?!"

Yoh smiled and stated, "well we just came to investigate the place so we better be going now. When you find Ryu, tell him to get out of this place quickly. It's not safe for humans."

"I heard from my grandmother that this area is cursed or something," one of the members admitted fearfully.

Yoh nodded and replied, "yeah, that's pretty much it." With that said, the three of them turned to left through the way they came.

Kagome looked over her shoulder a final time and said, "oh! And also, tell Ryu to stop by sometime and visit us! We really miss him!"

"Will do, goodbye for now, onee-san!" Muscle Punch replied while waving.

For the rest of the trip to and from the store, all the back to Yoh's house, Kagome had been quiet. Yoh and Manta had noticed but decided not to press on about it. She had been a little depressed earlier so they thought it would have been best to just leave her in her thoughts for a while...

_**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**_

Kagome found herself in a familiar setting... Darkness.

She was surrounded by nothing but pure darkness and an eery silence.

"Manta-kun!" Kagome cupped her hands around her mouth and called out. "Are you here?!" She was greeted by an echo of her own voice bouncing off invisible walls around her.

"Where am I...? We went home right? Yeah... We did... We ate dinner too and went to bed so... Where am I?" Kagome asked herself aloud. "Yoh-kun!!! Anna-chan!!! Ryu! Amidamaru-sama!!! Sesshomaru!!! ANYONE?!"

"ANYONE?!" "ANYONE?!" "ANYONE?!" "ANYONE?!"

That was the only response she received... "I'm alone... Why...?" Kagome asked herself as she dropped to her knees. "Where did everyone go...?"

_SSSSS..._

A hissing sound.

_SSSSssss..._

Through the darkness Kagome could make out the vision of a white snake slithering toward. She did not move. The snake was not looking at her, it looked past her, it slithered past her.

Kagome slowly followed the snake with her eyes and looked over her shoulder...

Her eyes widened.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" she screamed in horror.

Then came the sound of Yoh's voice. "KAGOME-CHAN?!"

Kagome gasped as she shot up and found herself in bed in her room. Yoh, Anna, Amidamaru, and Sesshomaru were standing around her.

"Kagome-chan, are you alright?!" Yoh asked frantically.

Kagome's eyes watered up and choked down a sob as she suddenly wrapped her arms around Yoh's torso. "Y-Yoh-kun! I had a vision just now! Of Ryu... and Manta-kun!"

Anna nodded and replied, "we know, we had it too. We have to go and get changed. It seems Yoh has received a challenge."

"A challenge?" Kagome inquired.

"I did some research on that area and it seems that it's haunted by the spirit of a thief that lived 600 years ago, a thief named Tokageroh." Anna explained before turned to Yoh and saying, "get out, we're about to change."

Yoh blinked, "why? You've seen me change before." Amidamaru sweat dropped at Yoh; not being able to decide if his partner was just that innocent or a closet pervert.

"AH!" The shaman was sent flying out of the room by a double punch combo from Kagome and Anna, one on each cheek.

Kagome blushed and glared at the swirly eyed Yoh, "pervert!" she scolded before shutting her door.

Yoh rubbed his cheeks before yelling back, "why am I a pervert for asking that? And why do Amidamaru and Sesshomaru get to stay in?!"

"Shut up and get ready, we're leaving now!" Anna yelled back though the door.

Yoh gasped when he heard Ryu's voice yell from outside, "there's no need to be in a hurry! I've already come for you! Just step outside and see!"

Within less than a minute everyone rushed outside and sure enough found Ryu and his gang standing a few yards away from them. Ryu had a tied up Manta tucked under his arm; his gang members were carrying lit torches, and the leader had a sword wrapped a cloth in his other hand.

"What's the meaning of this, Ryu?" Yoh asked. "And why did you capture Manta?!"

"This one here?" Ryu asked, gesturing to the short boy that tried yelling something but could not because there was duct tape over his mouth. "He's a naughty kid who decided to spy on me rather than go home like good kids should so I'd decided to give him the role of hostage."

Yoh growled as Anna handed him a wooden sword, "why are you doing this, Ryu?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Ryu asked. "I'll let you in on a little secret, this sword I have right here is not made of wood. It's actually the great and precious Harusame."

Amidamaru gasped and he was taken aback, "y-you **stole **Harusame?!"

"Once a thief, always a thief, eh, Tokageroh?" Anna asked. "We all know that you're not Ryu so stop playing games and show that ugly face of yours."

Everyone watched as a green spirit with a not-so-pleasant face emerged from within Ryu and stated angrily, "hey, you better watch your mouth, missy."

"Wow, you sure called it, Anna-chan," Kagome said.

"Yeah," Yoh nodded. "That face is one not even a mother could love."

Amidamaru nodded too, closing his eyes, "I wonder if death is what made him so hideou-"

"Who the hell do you guys think you are?! You have the guts to speak illy of me when I have your little friend here as a hostage?!" Tokageroh asked angrily. The possessed Ryu dropped Manta, placed a foot on top of him, and unwrapped the sword from the cloth he confined it in. "Now listen up, Amidamaru." Tokageroh stated. "I'm here to take revenge and kill you for killing me 600 years ago."

Amidamaru have Tokageroh a thoughtful, solemn look. The samurai spirit slowly closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest... "And who are you?" Amidamaru inquired.

"AAAHHHH!" Tokageroh screamed in frustration. "How can you not remember the infamous bandit that you had slain?!"

"I've killed many evil people back then, I can't remember all of them," Amidamaru said.

"Nonetheless," Tokageroh said. "I'm going to kill you with Harusame! To kill a samurai with his own blade... Hahahaha, it's such a delicious thought!" the maniac spirit laughed.

Anna closed her eyes and huffed, "the way I see it, you only have three options... You can let Manta die. You can let him kill you through Yoh. Or you can break Harusame... But Harusame is a great sword that can cut through stone, the only way to break it is use a full front attack... But I see that you, Amidamaru, are too attached to the sword to do something like that... "

"She's right," Tokageroh stated. "So what will you do, Amidamaru? I'll give you on the count of three..."

Yoh growled and merged with Amidamaru.

"One..." Ryu stated while unsheathing Harusame, the blade, still looking sharp and new glistened in the moonlight.

"Amidamaru, we can't let Manta die!" Yoh stated as he charged at Ryu.

"...Two..." Ryu continued while using both hands to lift the sword above his head. A single downward motion would end Manta's life.

"...Three.." Ryu finished.

"Damn, we won't make it in time!"

"Too late!" Ryu screamed while grinning devilishly. Ryu brought down the sword- "What-the-HELLLL?!" No one was expecting for a hot, pink glowing arrow to impale Ryu in the stomach.

"Hold it right there!" Kagome shouted while narrowing her eyes at Tokageroh. "Tokageroh... You've already lost this battle."

Tokageroh winced and seethed from the burning of the arrow he had just been assaulted with. "I didn't expect for a priestess to be here... How convenient for you, Amidamaru."

Yoh looked at Kagome as he and Amidamaru stated in unison, "Kagome, this is our fight so don't become involved in it... We've already made our decision."

Kagome nodded and lowered the Crescent and whispered, "I understand..."

Ryu lifted an eyebrow at Yoh and asked, "made your decision finally? So what is it?"

"Hmph," Yoh lifted his wooden sword into a fighting stance. "Harusame is a precious possession that was made by Mosuke exclusively for me... To break it is like breaking the bond the holds us together between the two worlds..." Yoh then glared at Tokageroh and announced, "but also, Harusame was a sword forged for me to protect my friends and that is what's most important to me!"

"Don't tell me-" Tokageroh gasped. "Damn it, it doesn't matter! I'll kill Manta before you can reach me or before the priestess can shoot me again! YOU'LL SEE!!!"

"I don't have to move from this spot," Yoh replied before swinging his sword and launch of a slash of red energy at Ryu, "Shinkuu Butagiri!" Before anyone could blink, the energy sliced up Harusame into pieces that fell to the ground with a clinking sound.

"That can't be..." Tokageroh whispered furiously. "How could he throw away something with such sentimental value for the sake others?!"

"That's what friendship is all about," Kagome stated. "Friendship is not bound by material possessions but by trust, faith, and love..."

"That doesn't make any sense!" the possessed Ryu retorted. "If friendship is so great then why did it cost something so precious?! I bet that fool Amidamaru is in a lot of pain right now! And that's what friendship is?"

Kagome nodded as Yoh stepped up behind and took her hand and added, "Kagome-chan is right. A part of friendship is pain and sacrifice, that's what you do for friends... Because you care about them so much that you don't care for your own well-being."

Amidamaru exited Yoh and stated, "A being such as Tokageroh who lived all of his life being selfish and without friends and love would not understand."

Yoh smiled in understand and stated, "that's a shame so... I want you, Tokageroh, to understand the power of friendship." Yoh released Kagome's hand and extended it toward the green spirit. "Do you want to my friend? Here? Merge with me."

Tokageroh scoffed and asked, "you would risk your own life to be _my_ friend? We all know the moment I enter your body, I'd take advantage and kill you for sure."

"Since we're friends, I'm willing to take that chance and trust you," Yoh replied.

Kagome gasped and Anna yelled, "Yoh!!! Don't throw your life away being foolish! You better not-!"

Yoh looked over his shoulder at the panicked Anna and smiled reassuringly, "it'll be fine... Trust me, Anna."

"Fine! If you're so eager to merge with me then SO BE IT!!!"

"NNNNooooooooooooo!" the spectators screamed as Tokageroh abandoned Ryu's body in favor of Yoh's, the gang leader immediately fell unconscious to the ground.

"Yoh-kun!" Kagome called as hugged Yoh from behind. "Tell me that you're in there!" she cried. The young priestess gasped and her eyes widened when she heard Yoh began laughing maniacally. "Yoh...kun...?"

"Yoh_-kun _is not here anymore." Yoh replied before roughly pushing her to the ground.

Kagome did not even care that she scraped her hands and knees. Yoh was gone... Tokageroh took him over after all and now- "Yoh-kun... Why?" Kagome asked with squeezing her eyes shut. "WHY YOH-KUN?!"

"...Yoh..." Anna whispered. "You fool..." 'Was it this feeling...?' The blond girl's hands with trembling... Her heart was aching... "Yoh..." Her eyes burned suddenly and her vision was blurry... She sobbed. "Yoh... Yoh... YOOOOOHHHHHH!" Anna screamed as hot tears rushed from her eyes.

Kagome gasped when she heard the pain and despair in Anna's voice. It was so genuine. It was so like her pain. It was the same pain that they felt. Kagome got to her feet and walked shakily to Anna. The usually apathetic and cruel blond was tugging at her hair and sobbing fiercely. "Anna-chan..." Kagome whispered.

Anna looked up at Kagome and could only glare at the priestess, which took Kagome aback but she did not back down. "Do... Do... DOBE!!!" Anna screamed hysterically. "You could have stopped him! Why did you just stand there looking like an idiot?!"

Kagome's eyes widened. Her heart felt so heavy all of a sudden. Guilt… So much that Kagome could almost not look Anna in the eye. But she did. And she saw such pain and despair... And Kagome did the unexpected. She wrapped her arms around Anna and cried too. "I know... I know..." Kagome admitted. Her eyes were burning hot like tears would come to flow, but they did not. They were burning but they were dry. "I could have... I should have but... I didn't... because I trusted him... I thought everything would be all right. That smile that he gave you... It wasn't for me but I felt reassured by it nonetheless and I thought... I thought... I thought wrong... I'm so sorry, Anna-chan. I'm so sorry..."

"Kagome-chan..." Manta whispered with teary eyes. "Anna..."

"Kagome-neesan..." whispered Space Shot, a member of Ryu's gang. "Lady Anna..."

Anna balled up her fist in anger... She growled and seethed for a moment...

Then the fist uncurled into a normal palm.

"...It's not your fault..." Anna admitted back. "The truth is that I could have done something too but I didn't because I trusted him too..."

"And you're not wrong for trusting in me!" Yoh suddenly said with a grin, suddenly appearing next to the two teary eyed girls. "See? I told you it would be okay!"

Tokageroh emerged from Yoh's body and smiled awkwardly, "truthfully... The moment I merged with Yoh... I felt... at peace."

"That's because that's what friendship is... A place of peace and refuge," Yoh replied with a grin.

"...You planned this all along," Anna whispered.

Yoh smiled while placing a hand on Anna then Kagome's head and patting them gently. "And I feel so touched that you guys care so much!"

Manta nodded as he ran up to them after Ryu's gang untied him. "Yeah! You two were so sweet together, it made me cry too!" Ryu's gang nodded, clapped, and cheered in agreement with Manta and Yoh.

"Everyone was watching that..." Kagome whispered while blushing a deep crimson. "That's so embarrassing..."

Anna was not so accepting to public embarrassment at being caught being so sentimental and emotional. She lowered her head to hide a secret blush of her own... "You guys... You all treated that like it was entertainment..."

"It was pretty much expected from Kagome-chan," Yoh stated while scratching his cheek. "But coming from Anna, it was really sweet and cute."

Anna's blush and anger deepened, "YOU WILL BE PUNISHED!!!" She grabbed Manta by the head and used him a human boomerang again. Her aim held true as she took down Yoh and every member of Ryu's gang with Mantarang.

"Owww..." Yoh moaned from the ground. He sat up with rubbing his head, "Manta sure has a hard head… I bet he could break Harusame as easily as the Shinku Buttagiri..."

Manta landed face first on the ground too, "you're too cruel, Yoh-kun..."

"Mou..." Yoh moaned. "Kagome-chan, Anna hurt me again!" he whined while wrapping his arms around Kagome's leg.

Kagome huffed, crossed her arms over her chest and stuck her nose in the air. "Serves you right!" she replied. "You don't treat a girl's emotions as a toy!"

"But I wasn't!" Yoh replied.

"Hmph!" Kagome turned around and followed Anna inside, allowing Yoh to fall face first onto the ground again.

Yoh laughed and stated, "girls sure are confusing... One minute they're crying for you and the next they're devils..."

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Kagome smiled softly as she lounging on the front porch late at night gazing at the night sky in contentment. Everything had been resolved now... After Ryu had finally awakened, Anna summoned Mosuke in order to repair Harusame... The long awaited meeting between Amidamaru and Mosuke had been a touching one... They greeted each other with senseless yelling and punches to each other's cheeks... They were like two boys that could not express their thoughts or feelings in words so they spoke with their fists instead... It was so sweet. And Yoh had even earned a brand new weapon from it all... The broken, bladeless Harusame had been infused with Mosuke's will and transformed into a spiritual sword...

"It's so peaceful now, huh, Sesshomaru?" the priestess asked her main spirit as he appeared next to her.

"Now is not the time for you to let your guard down, Kagome," Sesshomaru stated. "Don't you feel it?"

Kagome nodded solemnly and looked to the sky. A large, ghostly blue star swept across the night sky, outshining all of the other stars.

"That star is known as Lago, a star that represents destruction," Sesshomaru said, "it is the signal to all shamans worldwide that the time as come for a new savior to be chosen to change the Earth's fortune of destruction to revival."

"Revival, huh?" Kagome whispered. "Lago... It's so eery but it is beautiful..."

It was a star that foretold of a future of pain and death of many shamans that would not be recognized by the ignorant blindness of the modern...

But at the same time...

It was the star that bound all shamans together, and brought them all together.

"Beautiful or not," Sesshomaru responded grimly. "The time has come... for the Shaman Fights in Tokyo."

Something clicked inside of Kagome's head and she glared at her spirit," how can I even dream of being ready when we've never even merged?! How can I even call myself a shaman right now?!"

"Do not raise your voice to me," Sesshomaru said firmly. "You will be. I will make sure of it, at dawn, we will begin." The ranting shaman suddenly paused on her screaming, panicky rampage and blinked at her partner. She gave him a questioning expression to make sure that she had heard him correctly; he nodded wordlessly in response... Suddenly... She was not so fearful anymore...

Kagome smiled warmly and nodded gratefully, "I feel that I'm a bit behind everyone else but... I trust your decisions, Sesshomaru." She admitted as she locked gazes with her spirit. "So from now on, I won't question you anymore." She concluded.

"Hmph, that is good to hear," The demonic spirit replied. "Because after today's performance, I have decided that you will no longer reside in this place."

The smile on Kagome's face was wiped off like ink on a dry-erase board.

"What?"

"You heard me."

"What do you mean, I won't live here anymore?!" Kagome retorted, suddenly a spitfire again. "First you had me move out of my house and now you want me to move out of here?! Are you crazy?!"

"Do not question me, girl."

"Kagome."

"Kagome..." Sesshomaru began almost distastefully. "For months now I have watched you train alongside Yoh Asakura and I have observed your progress. And you have indeed become stronger than you were when we first met."

"Then why-?"

"_However_," Sesshomaru continued, interrupting yet another question from the young girl's mouth. "I have noticed that your progress is hindered greatly by your emotional attachment to Yoh, Manta, Anna, Ryu, and HoroHoro... All of them are hindrances to you. And all hindrances should either be eliminated or shed of."

"That's ridiculous!" Kagome exclaimed while balling up her fist. "It's my friends that give me the strength, courage, and determination to become stronger! Don't you remember what happened between us and Tokageroh?! Friendship is what people need to survive!"

"Hn," Sesshomaru replied. "You are still too young and naive to understand so I will put it in terms you will understand..."

Stormy blue-gray eyes contacted and locked onto golden ones that locked back without any sign of wavering.

"You are still too weak to do anything on your own. And it is not just your body, but so is your heart, mind, and spirit." Sesshomaru stated with ease, without any regards to his young partner's feelings. "who is of stronger body, mind, heart, and spirit. Your faith in Yoh despite his foolish decision is proof of how your dependent you are on Yoh. You **fail** to see that he too is mortal and you **fail** to see that he too can fail and perish like any other human. You subconsciously idolize him as if he is the sun to your universe. You unconsciously slack off on your training because you are in favor of seeing Yoh achieve his dream... You **fail**... _**fail**_... to realize the ultimate truth."

Kagome's heart stopped beating. It felt like her heart was in her throat and it was preventing her from breathing... She was suffocating... And it hurt.

"One can not save others when they can not even save themselves." Sesshomaru concluded. The deceased demon lord quickly skimmed over his partner's face. She looked very horrified at the things he has just told her, but it was for the best. "We depart at the crack of dawn." With that was said and final, the demon turned heeled and whipped around gracefully with his boa and long silver locks twirling after him.

Her breath suddenly returned and Kagome fell to her knees in defeat. She sat there for who knows how long. She sat there all alone in the middle of the Asakura courtyard... While everyone else either slept or relaxed... ignorant of her plight. They were all oblivious to the pain she was in right now... A smiling face flashed in her mind suddenly. "Yoh-kun..." She whispered instinctively.

"Yes?" Yoh inquired. Kagome blushed and gasped when suddenly the shaman that suddenly popped into her mind's eyes was face to face her. The brown haired shaman was squatting down in front of her with his usual expression of serenity. "What are you doing out here all by yourself, Kagome-chan?" he asked curiously.

"I..." Kagome began but suddenly paused. "I saw Lago... I saw the star." Kagome said out of the blue,

Yoh blinked and then laughed while scratching the back of his head," well I suppose that we all did, seeing how huge it was." He stood up and dusted himself off before extending a helping hand down towards Kagome. "Well, it's late, let's head inside."

Kagome smiled softly and slowly reached for his hand- 'No.'

_You have become too dependent on the strength of Yoh Asakura..._

Kagome shook her head and got to her feet on her own. Yoh gave him a confused look and she only smiled reassuringly. "I suppose, we should head back inside..." Kagome stated as she began to walk away.

One step.. Two... Three... Halt.

"Kagome-chan..." Yoh began slowly, sensing that something was not right with his best friend. "What's the matter?"

"A person who can not shed tears... Is that person still human? And despite that, can you... Can you still be able to love someone like that?" Kagome asked in the softest voice that Yoh had ever heard.

Yoh laughed and scratched his cheek, a habit he picked up from Kagome herself and replied honestly, "well... I don't think there's anyone who exist in this world that can not shed tears... And even if such a person did exist... Well... A person like... I guess they wouldn't be so bad."

"Yoh-kun..." Kagome began again. For some reason, she liked beginning sentences with his name. "I am someone that can not shed tears of any kind... I can't... No matter how happy or sad I am... I can not cry... Back then when you pulled that stunt with Tokageroh... I couldn't cry, even though I felt like I would..."

Yoh's expression turned into a serious one. "...What are you getting at?" Yoh asked bluntly.

"Anna-chan did though. Anna-chan cried unlike any person I had ever seen before..." Kagome stated. "It was pretty amazing to see, Yoh-kun. It was amazing to see how someone so strong and firm could break down so much... It proves how much she really loves you."

Yoh blushed at the thought.

"But I... I didn't cry at all. Not a single tear was shed for your sake..." Kagome said. "I'm sorry... I want to give them to you... I want to give my tears to you... But I can't."

"...Why...?" Was all he could ask.

"I gave them away," Kagome stated before shaking her head negatively. "No- They were stolen from me. Someone took my tears away from me... That's why."

**Chapter 9: A Maiden's Tears! Lago Appears!**

**Does It Mean Goodbye?!**

**!ENDS!**

* * *

Authoress' Notes: (sighs) I'm tired. I've been very tired lately. I've been taking exams nonstop since April and there are still more to come so I have not have time to do much lately. O_X So that's my story and I'm sticking to it. I won't write much down here since all I want to do now is sleeeeeeppppp. And eat. Oh god, I'm hungry now too. O_x

Anyways guys, last chapter was the last one where you could vote. I secrelt had an intricate plan on how I would bring out and develop the different pairings in the story... So yay! It's over! No more voting and counting!

I am pleased with the results I received from chapter seven and so on, it seems to me that a pairing will suddenly rise to popularity if a believable scene is written about or if hints are thrown out into the story about the pairing... For example, chapter seven. The demand for Ren/Kagome grew exponentially after the infamous "Tao Kagome" moment. :)

So yeah... That's just an observation I've made. And after mapping out the key points of the story here and there, I have decided on the pairing while of course, taking you all's wishes in account.

So for now... Just know and be happy that Kagome will have a harem through out the story... And again as I've said in an earlier chapter, Kagome will not be a whore who goes around kissing everyone and she will not be attracted or have a crush on every bishi that appears in the series... It will be like the implied harem that Kagome has in the original Inuyasha series by Rumiko Takahashi... Kagome will have one main love interest (like Inuyasha), but there will be a rival as the main love interest that Kagome could easily deviate to (Kouga), and there will be others that simply have a one-sided love for (like Jinenji, Houjo, Akitoki... etc.) So basically if you think the Kagome in this story is whorish, then you might as well say the same thing about the original one... Kay, everyone?

Sorry everyone who absolutely despises harems but I don't interpret them the way you do. And while I can definitely see where you're coming from, the type of harem I am implying is definitely not on the same level as the ones most anti-Haremites think of. And besides (grins) I'm a people's person and I declare-

"LET ME THEM EAT CAKE!" Get it?

Yoh/Kagome fans, you're in for a treat in the next chapter. Ren/Kagome fans... I'm so sorry, I could not incorportate Ren in this chapter either. TT_TT

Beware of upcoming drama and a little angst and mystery. Here's a few spoiler key words: **Departure, Search, Tears, Tao, Hao!**

Koodles to whoever can guess who Kagome will end up with at the very end of the story!

Everyone will have their cake and eat it too... That is... If you review. (Lol) I made a funny rhyme.

P.S: I have a new poll in my profile, please vote on it. :3


	10. His Fears, Her Tears

Authoress' Notes: I'm bbaaaccckkk! Sort of! . Sorry for being the type of person to only make cameo appearances every now and then. But… Better late than never, right? So here's the latest installment of that romantic-comedic-action-supernatural tale of friendship, hurt, and mystery: Shaaaaaaman Kiiinnnggg! (Trumpets play) Thanks for all the inspiring reviews everyone, keep them up and know that your voices are not going unheard!

Special Chapter Dedication to: My best buddy BeautifulPhantom for blessing us with your existence for eighteen whole years! Happy belated birthday my friend!

Disclaimer: I only own the plot of this fanfic!

* * *

_**Previously on Shaman King…**_

_"Kagome-chan..." Yoh began slowly, sensing that something was not right with his best friend. "What's the matter?"_

_"A person who can not shed tears... Is that person still human? And despite that, can you... Can you still be able to love someone like that?" Kagome asked in the softest voice that Yoh had ever heard._

_Yoh laughed and scratched his cheek, a habit he picked up from Kagome herself and replied honestly, "well... I don't think there's anyone who exists in this world that can't shed tears... And even if such a person did exist... Well... a person like... I guess they wouldn't be so bad."_

_"Yoh-kun..." Kagome began again. For some reason, she liked beginning sentences with his name. "I am someone that can't shed tears of any kind... I can't... No matter how happy or sad I am... I cannot cry... Back then when you pulled that stunt with Tokageroh... I couldn't cry, even though I felt like I would..."_

_Yoh's expression turned into a serious one. "...What are you getting at?" Yoh asked bluntly._

_"Anna-chan did though. Anna-chan cried unlike any person I had ever seen before..." Kagome stated. "It was pretty amazing to see, Yoh-kun. It was amazing to see how someone so strong and firm could break down so much... It proves how much she really loves you."_

_Yoh blushed at the thought._

_"But I... I didn't cry at all. Not a single tear was shed for your sake..." Kagome said. "I'm sorry... I want to give them to you... I want to give my tears to you... But I can't."_

_"...Why...?" Was all he could ask._

_"I gave them away," Kagome stated before shaking her head negatively. "No- They were stolen from me. Someone took my tears away from me... That's why."_

**Chapter 10: **

**His Fears, Her Tears**

Yoh's normal, calm expression faltered for a moment and then changed into a more serious yet confused one. "Wha… What do you mean by that? What do you mean "stolen"?" he inquired softly. He was not sure if Kagome meant what she said literally or not but… The young shaman's hands unconsciously tightened into a fist. He was definitely not comfortable with the idea of someone causing Kagome so much misery.

"I meant just what I said," Kagome stated without turning around to look at Yoh, which made him feel even worse for some reason. "A long time ago someone precious to me took my tears away… they did it without even asking me if I minded. At the time, I was too young to really understand what happened, but now I…" she trailed off. "I don't know what to do anymore… I never knew tears could be so important."

Yoh was not experienced in comforting people, let alone someone who was depressed about something so… strange… that was the only word he could think of for it. The thought of someone stealing someone else's tears that is. But he **had **to say something to her. "Kagome-chan…"

"Kagome." The said girl said curtly, cutting him off before he could say anything else.

Yoh blinked and then began again, "Kagome-chan-"

"Ka-go-me," she almost literally sang each syllable of her name.

"Eh heh," Yoh scratched his cheek once again. "That's what I said…" he stated in a way that was not quite irritated, but just a bit flustered and confused.

"I want you to call me Kagome, without the honorific," the dark haired teen announced, still without turning to face Yoh… She could not face him now. There were too many things on her mind at the moment and right now, her main goal was to spend her final moments with her best friend expressing her true feelings and being as honest as she possibly could with him… even if she was a little embarrassed. "And I'm going to call you just Yoh from now on too…" she stated, without asking for Yoh's consent to the sudden change in formalities and familiarity.

"Eh-" Yoh was taken aback by Kagome's sudden new wishes. He was not one to be big on the formalities of tradition, but for some reason, the thought of calling Kagome by her first name without the honorific made him feel… funny. More like nervous and a bit embarrassed. To call someone by their first name without an honorific was a statement of closeness and intimacy between two people. Usually those things did not matter to him because he called all of his friends, even Anna, by just their first names- Except for Kagome.

"Well…?" Kagome asked while turning around, her dark tresses swirled around her body like a whirlwind as she turned on the ball of her foot.

Yoh tilted his head to the side and asked back, "well what?"

Kagome smiled amusedly and commanded in a sweet tone, "Let's try it out now, Yoh." Yoh unconsciously took a step back when a foreign feeling of swirling butterflies in his bellies combined with a heart pounding like drums in his chest. Yoh blushed; for a brief moment, while smiling at him under the moonlight, Kagome actually looked very… pretty. When she noticed Yoh's sudden discomfort, Kagome felt bad and she could not help but frown and cross her arms. "What's so hard about it, Yoh?" she asked while glowering up at him.

Yoh blushed even harder; for the first time in his life, he did not know what to say or how to act… or what was happening to him. All he could do was hold his hands up defensively, pleading innocence for something he did not know what. "I just can't do it, Kagome-chan!"

Kagome stomped her foot angrily, showing she was now thoroughly frustrated with him. But what could he do? "Okay, okay," he sighed defeatedly. "I'll… try…"

"That's all I'll ask for," Kagome replied with a new, brighter smile.

"Ka…" Yoh began to say but blushed and faltered when Kagome's eyes shone big and bright as she looked up at him with cupped, hopeful hands and the cutest, expecting expression. "…Kagome…" he whispered…

"Yatta! You did it!" the young priestess-in-training cheered and clapped.

"-chan!" He had to add.

"Arrgghh!" Kagome screamed while tugging at her hair. "Why Anna-chan and the others, but not me?" yelled while walking away from the object of her frustrations.

"Ehhh? Kagome-chan! Wait for me!" Yoh called after her before jogging up to catch up to her. Kagome looked over her shoulder, blew Yoh a childish raspberry, and then sped up.

"No way; you suck! Stay away from me!"

"Kagome-chan, come on! I'm sorry!"

"No, you're mean and you treat me differently from everyone else!"

"E-Eh? Is this about the honorific thing?"

"No!" A blatant lie on her part.

"Mooouuu! Kagome-chan!"

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

"Mou…" Kagome whispered groggily to herself as she rubbed her eyes. They were a bit dry from being open wide all night. She did not get any sleep. She lied awake, thinking about just everything that had been bothering her lately, all night in her bed. "The sun is rising already," she announced to herself. That sucked. Just as she was finally falling asleep too… Kagome gasped softly and quickly closed her eyes when she felt Sesshomaru's presence in her room. 'Maybe if I pretend to be fast asleep, it'll buy me more time and he'll leave me alone…' she thought while executing her pretend sleep plan.

"Do not jest with me, Kagome." The demonic spirit commanded in a firm, anti-tolerance tone. "I know that you are awake so come, it is time for us to depart."

Kagome swiftly sat up and fearlessly glared at the late demon lord. "But to where?" she questioned, "And for how long?"

"Do not question me or my authority, girl," Sesshomaru responded. "We will travel around to find to most suitable training grounds for you… And since the Shaman Tournament is not too far off, I will not keep you secluded for long."

"And just how long is "not for long"?"

"Approximately one month and a half," Sesshomaru said. He did not miss the incredulous jaw-drop Kagome gave him. "You are far behind on your training and if you do not start training seriously now, you will surely be the weakest link at the tournament… Even a month and a half will not be enough time to sufficiently prepare you for what is to come; therefore you need to take things seriously from this day forward."

"…But why can't we stay here and train?" Kagome asked with a pout.

"That Asakura boy is a negative influence."

"Wow. What are you, my father?"

"I would rather die again than to suffer such a cruel fate."

"Touché."

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Preparing for their departure took no more than five minutes because Kagome had already packed up her bag and washed her body earlier in the morning. Kagome sneakily peeked her head out of her door and looked left then right.

All of the halls were clear and silent. No one was awake, not even Yoh, who got up early for his daily training. Kagome sighed and stepped out into the hall while gripping the shoulder straps of her humungous yellow backpack. Although she was not excited about leaving, Kagome wanted to clear all of the rooms successfully so she did not wake anyone up and end up having to explain that she was leaving for-

A thought struck her like a lightning bolt.

"Shouldn't I tell everyone that I'm leaving?" she asked herself out loud before she even had the chance to take her first step to departure.

"I advise you to not do so, but I will not stop you if you decide to do so," Sesshomaru replied as he floated passed her nonchalantly. "Saying goodbye would only complicate things."

"…You're right," Kagome conceded softly before proceeding to walk down the hall, passing her friend's rooms one by one, as she approached the front door. She could not help but stop beside the last room she had to pass: Yoh's room. "…Saying goodbye… would be too sad," she explained to herself. "And… it's not like it's forever anyway."

The young girl continued to walk passed Yoh's room without a single peep. For some reason, her feet felt heavy as she did so… like she was not supposed to leave and all of the forces of the universe were telling her not to go…

One step. Two steps…

She made it passed his room. Kagome closed her eyes and sighed deeply; that one action seemed to drain all of the energy and motivation inside of her. When she opened her eyes again, they widened in shock to see Anna standing but a meter away from her. The blond haired teen was leaning coolly against the wall, arms crossed over her chest, and eyes closed.

"And just where do you think _you're _going, dobe?" Anna inquired.

"A-Anna-chan…" Kagome stumbled over the girl's name, but she herself was unsure it was because she was nervous or still surprised. "Good morning." Was all she could think of saying.

"…Don't fool around with me," Anna replied, reminding Kagome of what Sesshomaru had said to her earlier. "I already know of your little secret training trip."

"…Have you come to say goodbye or to stop me then?" Kagome asked a sort of innocent curiosity that made Anna's eyebrow twitch.

"…I honestly don't know," Anna answered honestly before opening up her eyes and looking Kagome right into her blue-gray eyes. "But I do know one thing…" Kagome blinked. "You leaving… Will not be good for him."

"…You mean… Yoh?"

"What happened to Yoh-_kun_?" Anna asked sharply; Kagome winced, she had caught onto that one small detail quickly. "Well, whatever. It doesn't matter." The spiritual medium concluded. "Don't let me stop you." She said while walking past Kagome towards her room, making sure to bump shoulders with the departing shaman along the way.

Kagome nodded in understanding.

Anna really_ did_ come to see her off.

"Thanks… Anna-chan."

With those final words Kagome jogged up to the front door. She slipped on her shoes quickly and slid the door open. A rush of bright morning light hit her, but neither she nor Sesshomaru winced. And with a single step outside the door: Kagome Higurashi embarked on a new journey.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Yoh blinked slowly a few times as he awakened from his sleeping state. He sat up robotically with a sleepy, blank expression on his face. He slowly turned his head to the right to look at his alarm clock, which usually went off at 6:00 A.M. so that he and Kagome could begin their daily training… It currently read 9:01 A.M. Yoh blinked twice, not sure if he was seeing things clearly or not. He rubbed his eyes and looked at it again. It was 9:02 A.M.

The young shaman yawned loudly without covering his mouth and stretched his arm muscles… Yoh grinned happily; he had not slept for so long in such a long time! His body felt so good and fully rested! 'Oh wait-' something just occurred to him.

'If my alarm didn't wake me up, then why didn't Anna or Kagome-chan do it?' he thought to himself while gazing up at the ceiling and tapping his chin thoughtfully… After three seconds of attempting to contemplate, Yoh gave up. He shrugged the thought off and concluded that Anna decided to give them the morning off from training. Yoh then took the time to fold up and put up his futon since it seemed like he had the time. The brown haired teen smiled when he sensed the presence of his guardian spirit.

"Good morning to you, Yoh-dono," the samurai greeted as he usually did. "Did you sleep well?" he inquired, creating a light, small talk.

"Ah, morning, Amidamaru," Yoh replied with a cheerful grin. He smiled over his shoulder at his guardian spirit as he pushed his folded futon into the closet for daytime storage. "Yeah, I feel great today! I haven't slept in for such a long time; I feel refreshed! I have a feeling that today marks a brand, new beginning for us!" he stated enthusiastically.

Amidamaru nodded silently, and decided not to tell his young master about how right he actually was. "Well, Ryu has just finished breakfast so-"

"Hai, hai!" Yoh sang back with a huge grin as he marched out of his room and towards the kitchen.

"…Yoh-dono…" Amidamaru whispered, he could not bring himself to crush the teen's merry mood. He knew he should have followed after Yoh and told him the truth about the new situation, but he did not have the heart to do it. "…I leave it to you, Anna-sama."

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Yoh Asakura was quite the oblivious one today. Manta bit his lip and stared down at his fist on his lap as he waited for someone to make a move. 'Why does Yoh-kun have to be so happy today of all days?' he thought begrudgedly to himself. The sandy blond haired teen finally got the courage to peer up and around at the faces at the breakfast table.

First there was Yoh, who sitting directly across from him and indulging in all of his favorite morning dishes. Then there was HoroHoro, who was sitting to the right of Yoh and surprisingly hadn't touch his food at all. Anna was to the left of Yoh and was eating her breakfast quietly in her usual manner. To the left of Manta was Ryu, who also did not touch the meal that he created himself. And of course, to the right of Manta was an empty seat… 'Everyone knows except for Yoh-kun…' Manta thought. 'How can he not sense that something is amiss?' Manta was snapped from his stupor by the sound of the clang of Yoh's now empty bowl against the wooden surface of the table.

"Ah!" Yoh sighed in content when he finished his meal. He grinned while patting his full stomach and said, "that was great, Ryu! Thanks!" The teen then quickly scanned the table from left to right and blinked. "Wait a minute…" he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Something is definitely not right here." He stated in a serious manner.

Yoh's statement caught everyone's attention.

"Yoh-kun… So you finally understand…" Manta whispered.

Yoh nodded solemnly as he turned to HoroHoro with sharp, accusing eyes, "HoroHoro never skips a meal. Who are you and what have done with HoroHoro?" he asked with a serious expression that caused everyone to fall over.

HoroHoro was the first to recover. He jumped to his feet and gave Yoh a hard bonk over the head. "Baka! How is something like _that _important at a time like _this_?"

Yoh held his hands over his abused head and whined at the pain, "ow, HoroHoro; that _kills_! What was that for?"

Ryu held HoroHoro as the icy blunette held up his shaking fists and retorted, "I'll do it again!" The oldest of the teens sighed and closed his eyes as he easily kept HoroHoro's arms locked away in his iron grip. "Let go of me! Let me at him, the jerk!"

"Mou, why are you so jumpy today?" Yoh asked, "Talk some sense into your boyfriend, Kago-" Yoh paused; everyone and everything froze once again. Yoh blinked and asked confusedly, "Kagome-chan hasn't come to breakfast yet?"

"Well, actually, Yoh," HoroHoro began to say but Ryu slapped a hand over his mouth.

Yoh chuckled as he got to his feet suddenly and smiled, "Don't worry about it. I'll go get her myself." He stated with a cheerful grin. He then began his short trek to Kagome's room, still oblivious to the fact that Kagome was gone. Manta, HoroHoro, and Ryu all gasped simultaneously and then exchanged worried glances.

Anna sipped her tea as the three zoomed passed her, following after Yoh. "…Idiots." She mumbled beneath her breath. She sipped her tea again.

"Yoh-kun, wait!" Manta called after his friend. "Don't go in there!" he yelled as Yoh grabbed the handle of Kagome's door and twisted it. He, HoroHoro, and Ryu leapt into the air simultaneously when they saw Yoh opening the door. "Ugh!" But they were still too slow and too late to prevent the inevitable from happening.

Unfortunately, all three landed in a heap on the hard, hallway floor. And Yoh already took a step into Kagome's room, or what used to be her room.

…

Yoh wordlessly looked up, down, and around the room without ever moving from one spot. All of the blankets, pillows, and sheets that made up Kagome's bed were no longer there. Her dresser drawers were slightly ajar and from what Yoh could tell, all of Kagome's clothes were missing. All signs that someone had ever lived in the room had been completely erased, from the curtains, to the rug, to the alarm clock. Even the framed photos of Kagome's family and friends had been removed as well.

"Kagome…chan?" Yoh asked slowly. Manta watched silently as Yoh finally moved from that one spot and walked to Kagome's naked bed. His hands glided over the soft surface and felt for any signs of heat… It was cold. The entire atmosphere of the room was just… cold… lifeless… and empty. That was when Yoh turned around and asked of his friends, "Kagome-chan… Where is she?"

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Kagome sighed tiredly and wiped sweat from her eyebrow. After a good five hours of walking from Tokyo to its outskirts, she and Sesshomaru finally arrived at the entrance to Higurashi Shrine. She stooped over and placed her hands on her knees as she panted heavily from exhaustion. "Why…couldn't we have…just… taken… the train…?" she inquired frustratedly between deep pants that were so dry that it was painful. "I'm… exhausted…" she stated before collapsing to her knees that buckled from the sharp pain in them.

"The walking was a mere warm-up exercise." Sesshomaru responded.

Kagome took a final, deep gasp of air before shooting a glare up at her guardian spirit. "You call _that_ a warm-up?" she retorted indignantly with tight fists.

"Glad to hear you are so enthusiastic." Sesshomaru stated. "I will make note to have future warm-ups more rigorous."

Kagome screamed while tugging at her hair, "That's **not** what I meant!" Before the young shaman-in-training could go off on a tirade, a familiar, feminine voice asked from behind her.

"Kagome…? Is that you?"

Kagome gasped when she recognized the voice. The girl jumped to her feet and turned around to see her own mother standing on the top stairs to the entrance of the shrine, her hands clinging to several plastic grocery bags.

"Mom?" Kagome asked; she was not expecting to cross paths with her mother. The only reason she came back to her true house was because there were other essentials that she would need for her trip that she did not have the heart to take from the Asakura residence. "I'm… I'm home." She smiled lopsidedly.

"Kagome… You're not here to stay, are you?" her mother asked with a soft, knowing smile. Kagome laughed nervously while scratching her cheek embarrassedly; somehow her mother could always see right through her and read her like a book. Kagome smiled softly when her mother only shook her head before chuckling for a reason that was a mystery to Kagome.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Manta and Ryu watched with sympathy as Yoh, out of a mixture of disbelief and denial, searched fruitlessly around the Asakura grounds for their long departed friend. "Ano… Yoh-kun…" Manta attempted to get his friend's attention as he reached out a tiny hand to him slowly.

"Kagome-chan!" Yoh called while lifting the lid of the porcelain cookie jar and peering inside.

"Only someone as small as Manta could fit in there," HoroHoro mumbled as he watched Yoh scurry and search around the house along side Manta and Ryu.

"Kagome-chan!" This time Yoh lifted the blanket of the kotatsu and looked underneath it.

"Who in their right mind would hide under a heating table in the first place?" HoroHoro asked no one in particular.

"Kagome-chhaaaaannnnnn!" Yoh screamed into the toilet. "Where are you?"

"Again, who besides Manta, could actually fit in there…?" HoroHoro inquired.

"How long will Master Yoh keep this up?" Ryu asked Manta as their heads turned left and right, following the frantically searching shaman boy as continued his search that began hours ago.

Manta winced when Anna came stomping into the room while glowing red eyes and a shaking fist that was so tight that her veins were popping out. The short boy replied as he, Ryu, and HoroHoro threw up their hand in submission and took three steps backwards to stay out of the way of her wrath. "Not long…" Manta stated with a nervous, toothy grin.

Anna seethed as she whispered viciously, "Yoh…" Said boy then came running by her, calling out the same name he had been calling for hours. The three spectators then winced when Anna used her inhuman strength and roughly grabbed Yoh by the head. "What the hell is wrong with you? Kagome is gone! Gone! Do you hear me you idiot? Get over it!" Anna yelled furiously as she tortured Yoh by doing various things like putting him in a headlock, shaking him roughly by the collar of his open shirt, and holding him a foot off the ground with one hand and smacking him with the other. Once Anna released all of her frustration, she dropped callously Yoh onto the floor and he landed on his butt with a loud thud.

"Mou, Anna…" Yoh whined lowly while scowling a bit. "That was a bit uncalled for…"

"You needed something to snap you of it," Anna said bluntly before stalking away like the head lioness in a pride. The blond girl suddenly halted at the entrance between the living room and the hallway where the others were. "…I have a feeling that it is not too late to go after her. I can sense that she has not left Tokyo just yet."

The boys all gave Anna looks of awe and surprise, their mouths all slightly ajar. None of them were expecting for Anna to mention chasing after the girl that she seemed to dislike so much. "Anna… Are you saying you want to…?" Yoh slowly asked in disbelief.

Anna suddenly skidded around on her heel and glared daggers at them with blazing eyes of anger. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS WAITING FOR?"

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" The boys chorused collectively while scrambling to their feet.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Kagome smiled gratefully at her mother then turned it to her seven-year-old brother, her grandfather, and then her grandmother. "Well, I'm leaving now, everyone," Kagome announced to her family.

"But sis, you just got back!" Souta protested while latching onto her leg.

Kagome smiled fondly down at her younger brother and affectionately ruffled his hair. "I know. Sorry, Souta. But I've got to train for the Shaman Tournament; if I don't then I'm as good as dead." Kaede gave Kagome a nudge that made the girl realize the mistake she had made.

"You…" Tears gathered in the young boy's blue-gray eyes and his mouth turned upside in a watery frown. "You're gonna DIE?"

"Eh? Oh no! Of course not, Souta!" Kagome panicked while trying to comfort her wailing younger sibling. "Aw, don't cry! Come on, Souta! Don't cry!"

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Mrs. Higurashi smiled inwardly as she swept the runaway trash that wandered onto the Higurashi Shrine grounds. So far today was turning out to be a lovely day. First she had won a small lottery of a thousand yen at the grocery store, then her daughter had stopped by for a visit, and the afternoon weather turned out surprisingly mild for the summer.

"Higurashi-san!" A familiar voice called out from far away.

"I wonder who that could be…" the woman wondered aloud before setting her broom against the trunk of the great tree that rested in the courtyard of the shrine. She sauntered up to the entrance of the shrine and was delightfully surprised to find two familiar young faces among a group of young faces. "Ah, Yoh, Manta, it's good to see you again. And you brought more friends?"

Manta smiled pleasantly at his friend's mother and stated, "Yeah, it's been a while, huh? And these are our friends: Anna-san, Ryu-san, and HoroHoro," he explained while gesturing to each one of them as he listed them respectively.

"Well, it is truly a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Mrs. Higurashi stated politely while bowing a deep, tradition bow to the three new faces.

Yoh then got on his tip-toes to peer around the shrine grounds. "Excuse me, Higurashi-san," he said suddenly. "But is Kagome-chan here by any chance?"

The woman blinked and replied thoughtfully, "Kagome…? Funny, you just missed her. She took off in a hurry about five minutes ago."

"She must have known we were coming," Anna stated while crossing her arms over her tiny bosom. "How troublesome."

"Hm, I suppose so." Mrs. Higurashi replied absently. "Then again, it is pretty odd that she left through the back exit of the shrine."

"Higurashi-san, do you know where she's headed next?" Manta asked.

"Ano…" the woman whispered while tapping her chin. For once, Manta saw the resemblance between mother and daughter. Although the older of the two was far more mature and nurturing, they both shared a sort of cute airheaded feel about them. Not that either of the two were really airheads though. "Ah! I remember now, Kagome mentioned that she needed a few more things at her house in Tokyo…"

HoroHoro then pointed energetically back east towards mainstream Tokyo and grinned, "Onward troops! If we run now, we should be able to catch up with her!"

"Hai!" Ryu and Manta chorused as the three charged back down the huge staircase with a new burst of energy. Mrs. Higurashi chuckled at the three's antics and waved as the group left to catch up with her daughter.

"Hmph, I don't run," Anna announced haughtily as she trailed behind the three at her own leisure pace. "Hurry along, Yoh." She said over her shoulder.

"Oh, Yoh-dear, are you staying for an afternoon snack?" Mrs. Higurashi inquired sweetly.

Yoh shook his head and replied straightforwardly, "I wanted to ask you some things about Kagome-chan if you don't mind."

"About Kagome…?" the woman blinked. "Sure, I'll answer you whatever I can." She then sat down at a bench under the great tree of Higurashi shrine that Kagome once called the "Goshinboku". "Come have a seat next to me." She invited while lightly patting a spot right next to her on the bench.

"Thank you," Yoh nodded as he made himself next to the friendly, kind woman.

"Now, where should we begin?" she asked curiously with a warm smile that reminded Yoh of Kagome.

"Ah…um…" Yoh stated. He did not exactly know how to ask something so strange and personal to a mother about her own daughter.

"Are you going to ask about Kagome's love life?"

"E-Eh?" Yoh blushed when he was caught off guard by the blunt question. "O-Of course not!" the teen choked out.

"Ha ha," the woman chuckled in amusement. "Oh my, of course not. You'd know more about that than I do, right?" she teased lightly after she succeeded in thoroughly flustering the boy.

"If you're curious, K-Kagome-chan already has a boyfriend." Yoh stated, attempting to regain his composure. Never before had he been so affected by the mention of the girl.

"Oh, she does now, does she?" Mrs. Higurashi asked in a surprised tone. "And I'm guessing that it's not you?"

"Mou, Higurashi-san!" Yoh whined while waving his hands frantically about in the air. "Kagome-chan is just my best friend and her boyfriend is HoroHoro, from earlier! And besides that, Anna is my fiancée!" he protested.

Yoh did not know why but Mrs. Higurashi's face deflated and her eyes saddened at his words of defense. "I see… I apologize." She replied.

Yoh shook his head and grinned reassuringly at her, "it's nothing really. Anyway… About those questions about Kagome?"

"Oh yes. It seems that we've gotten off track. What did you want to know, dear?"

"About Kagome's tears…" Yoh began slowly. "Do you know anything about them being… stolen by someone when she was younger?" he asked.

"…" It was obvious that the woman was not expecting that question, but at the same time, Yoh knew that she knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Higurashi-san…?"

"It's a made-up tale Kagome has been telling us for years," his best friend's mother began. "…Years ago our family was complete with me, Kagome, Souta, mother, father, my husband, and my other daughter…" the woman explained. "But one day, my husband just got up and left, and he took my other daughter with him… They never came back."

"Kagome-chan had a sister?"

"Yes… They were twins." Mrs. Higurashi replied solemnly before closing her eyes. "That night Kagome had a dream that her sister came to her and so-called stole her tears so Kagome would not cry ever again in her life." The woman chuckled a bit bitterly at the memory. "Kagome used to be such a cry baby, but after that night, no matter how sad she became, she never cried again…"

"…I see…" Yoh stated, "…do you really think Kagome-chan made up the story…? Or do you believe that it may be true…?"

"…I… I honestly don't know what to believe," she admitted with teary eyes that she hid from the boy by lifting up her head and staring up at the leaves of the sky-reaching branches that loomed above them. "Although Kagome has always been an odd child and even more so because she is gifted in many different ways, I can not honestly say that I don't think there may be some hint of truth in her story but… you know how children make up far-fetched fantasies to help them cope with the pains of reality."

Yoh placed a comforting hand on the woman's shoulder and gave it a small, comforting squeeze. It seemed to him that this was the first time the she ever had the chance to speak her opinion and feelings on the matter so freely and openly with anyone. "It's alright, Higurashi-san. I understand how you feel…" he stated. "You don't have to doubt yourself just because you have mixed feelings about this; you're still a great mother."

Mrs. Higurashi stifled a watery chuckle and gently patted her moist eyes with a handkerchief from the pocket of her yellow, cleaning apron. "Oh look at me… I'm a mother and here I am being comforted by my daughter's teenage friend." She laughed embarrassedly with cheeks slightly tinged with pink.

Yoh laughed and replied, "Some people say I just have wisdom behind my years."

"Well, whoever said that has got you halfway pegged," the woman stated with a smile. "You seem so wise, but at the same time, you're still an innocent child." A gentle breeze then swept across the shrine grounds, caressing and fiddling with the pair's short, brunette hair. The soothingly silence between them was broken by a question from Mrs. Higurashi, "so Yoh… Now that you've heard the story behind Kagome's tears, what do you plan to do about it?" she asked.

The woman did not see but at that moment Amidamaru appeared behind Yoh, which made him grin cheerfully. The brown haired teen got to his feet and held up a fist of determination. "I'm going to find Kagome's tears and bring them back to her, of course!"

The woman blinked.

"Oh really?" she inquired. She then smiled humorously and replied, "Good luck then."

Yoh nodded while placing his hands into his pants' pockets. He turned around and began to walk away slowly. He took a good five steps before he turned around and asked with an embarrassed grin and a hand behind his head, "So where should I start?"

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Kagome found herself kneeling on her knees, panting heavily from exhaustion once again. But this time, she was in front of her house in Tokyo. "Sessho… maru…" she panted out. "You…" she panted. "Suck." She concluded, ignoring the sharp glare the said demonic spirit gave her in return.

"You are the one who needed to come here," Sesshomaru pointed out before his golden eyes scanned the area. "We have company."

"Ka-go-me-!" a familiar voice seethed.

"Huh?" Kagome asked. But before she could blink, she found the air knocked from her lungs by someone charging right into her. Whoever it was buried their face into her soft bosom and wrapping their arms tightly around her waist.

They crashed into the ground. Kagome skidded on her back on the grass of her front lawn and the person landed right on top of her. Kagome moaned in pain. She peeked one eye open before slowly opening both of them and peering down at the offender. Kagome blushed at the sight of a spiky garden of icy blue hair. "HoroHoro-kun…!" she exclaimed.

"Mou, Kagome-chan…" He whined, sounding a lot like Yoh when things did not go his way. The blunette affectionately rubbed his face into her chest and complained in a cooing tone, "You're not supposed to just go off without telling me!"

Kagome blushed and tried pushing HoroHoro's head off of her and stated flusteredly, "HoroHoro-kun, this isn't proper! I already told you that we're not togeth-"

"But we're all still friends here, right?" another familiar voice asked.

Kagome gasped and looked up to see her other best friend, Manta Oyamada smiling kindly at her. "Ma…Manta-kun too…? But how-?" she was going to ask but she was stopped abruptly when she was suddenly lifted up from off of the ground by a pair of strong, hairy arms. She turned around, immediately recognizing the person by their strength but gentle nature. "Ryu?" she asked. The older teen smiled and saluted her with two fingers. "So is Anna-chan here too?"

"Ahem."

Kagome's attention was directed to her left where said spiritualistic medium was leaning against her mailbox with her eyes closed and arms crossed as usual. "I already told you, you address as Anna-_sama_." The blond stated haughtily. "We came because these three couldn't stand to live a day without you."

Manta blinked and said bluntly, "but Anna-san is the one who suggested that we chase after you in the first place." Anna's eyes flashed open dangerously.

"Stop spewing nonsense, you little gnome!" she yelled while swinging Manta around singlehandedly by the head. "Take it back!"

"Lady Anna really _is_ the one who suggested we come," Ryu whispered into Kagome's ear, which made her smile widely at the blond.

When Anna saw the fond, touched expression Kagome was sending her way, she snorted and turned her back to Kagome. "Don't get any funny ideas, Higurashi." Anna stated. "I just wanted to shut that idiot up."

Kagome squealed to herself and resisted the urge to bring Anna into an unexpected hug. 'Anna-chan is such a tsundere!' she thought fondly. "So… Where's Yoh?" she asked with an excitedly smile.

"Eh-" Manta, HoroHoro, and Ryu froze for the umpteenth time that day. This time they felt the guilt of not wanting to shatter the sweet expression on Kagome's face. "Well, Yoh-kun is… uh…" Manta began twiddling his fingers nervously.

Kagome bit her lip; she immediately understood. "He didn't come…" she said. Suddenly all of the feelings of awe, excitement, and joy that her friends had brung upon her dispersed and she felt an intense pain in her heart. She inhaled deeply to soothe the pain, but to not avail… Her heart was aching. Her heart was aching for Yoh.

"Yeah well, we sort of just got separated," HoroHoro lied through a toothy, fake grin. He placed wrapped an arm around Kagome's shoulder and smiled, "But don't worry, Yoh really does care for you, so he must not be here for a good reason."

Ryu nodded while placing a hand on Kagome's other shoulder and added in, "HoroHoro is right. Master Yoh cares about you as much as we do, and we all want to come home."

"It's true!" Manta piped in also. "Even Anna-san wants you to come back, and that's really saying something!" he announced.

When Kagome looked her way once again, Anna looked away to avoid the girl's curious, questioning gaze. "To a certain extent, things become a bit more difficult without you around," Anna said.

Kagome sweat dropped at Anna's explanation of her feelings on the matter, 'she's such a tsundere.' The young shaman then smiled appreciatively at her friends, who were attempting to dissuade her from leaving and announced, "This is why I didn't want to say goodbye to you guys in person… I knew it would be hard."

"Something tells me you haven't been persuaded just yet," Manta sighed disappointedly as his posture visibly deflated.

"Mm mm," Kagome shook her head negatively. "I've already decided… I want to go and become stronger. When I come back, I'll be able to protect myself instead of relying on everyone one else all the time." She stated confidently with a ready-and-willing smile on her face.

"W-Well just stay and hang out for a few more minutes, I'm sure Yoh-kun was right behind us and will be here soon!" Manta insisted.

Kagome sighed and dropped her heavy luggage from her back and sat down on it to rest a bit. "Okay, I'll wait a while to see if he makes it." She replied. "My feet do need some rest after being up and about all day."

Manta nodded in agreement and understanding before biting his lip anxiously. 'Yoh-kun, wherever you are, whatever you're doing… Hurry up and get here. You're the only one who can convince Kagome-chan to stay…'

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

'Don't worry, I'm on my way!' Yoh thought suddenly, as if Manta's thoughts had reached him. He had left Higurashi shrine a half hour ago and was running at top speed, he even managed to increase his speed two-fold by focusing extra energy into his feet. Usually Yoh would not bother to do something so strenuous as running at top speed, let alone having to focus energy into a single, particular spot on his body but…

This was for Kagome; for her, he did not mind.

The young shaman grinned at his spirit who could easily keep up with him even at the high speed because the samurai was not confined by the restraints of having a physical body. "Yoh-dono… Are you sure this will work?" the samurai asked, not wanting his partner's hopes to be dashed after he had gone through all the trouble of searching for a certain girl's tears.

"Of course it will, Amidamaru!" Yoh replied confidently. "I've got what she wanted after all!" he replied altruistically. "Ah! I can feel the others! And Kagome-chan is nearby!"

"Yes, but it feels like her energy is moving further and further away from them," Amidamaru announced. Yoh nodded and frowned before pushing his body to pick up speed.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

As much as Kagome wanted to see Yoh before she left, she forced herself to move along. Sesshomaru had already been annoyed when she had stopped to stay at the shrine hours ago and just a few minutes ago, he had threatened to leave her behind. Kagome looked over her shoulder for the umpteenth time that day, this time the sun was setting and she could no longer see her friends waving 'goodbye' to her in the distance. She sighed and turned back around to face the sun that setting right before her very eyes.

"Yoh-kun…" she could not help but whisper. She wanted to see him… She wanted to see his smile one last time before she left… She wanted to hear his voice call her name once more.

"Kagome-chan!"

Kagome faltered in her next step at the sound of the object of her longing's voice call her name, just as she had wished. She sighed softly and brushed it off as her imagination projecting some wishful thinking.

"Kagome-chan, wait up!"

Kagome bit her lip and forced herself not to turn around. 'Yoh had something more important to attend to than me… Why would he be here now? Don't make a fool of yourself again. Don't stop. Don't turn around.'

"Kagome-chan, I know you can hear me!"

Kagome gasped and stopped in mid-stride, much to Sesshomaru's annoyance. This is what she had wanted. So why was she was walking away now? Why couldn't she bring herself to face him…? So many different things weighed heavily on her heart and mind that she could do nothing but add the cloudiness and pain in her heart and mind.

"Leave me alone!" Kagome suddenly yelled. The girl suddenly made a mad dash down the block and away from the source of the voice that she had so longed to hear.

"Kagome-chan!" Yoh called after all before falling to his knees. He could no longer catch his breath, nor could he summon the energy to catch up to her or go on any further. It was hard enough just trying to talk and breath at the moment. "Kagome-chan, I have something for you!"

"I don't want it!" she yelled before clumsily tripping over her own feet. Yoh laughed to himself and took the opportunity to crawl down the street towards the fallen girl, who was avoiding him for some reason. "Just keep away from me, Yoh!" Kagome screamed as she finally turned to face Yoh, who had already caught up to her on only his hands and knees. Kagome wobbled to her feet and turned to take off again but she was stopped by a single word.

"Kagome!" Yoh called out after her. "Kagome, please wait for me!" he pleaded. Kagome reluctantly turned around and faced him. By this time Yoh had already positioned himself to sit flat on his butt. He laughed between pants for air and pointed at her, "Look at you, you look terrible."

Kagome blushed and retorted, "Yeah well, you don't look like a million bucks yourself, buddy!" which only made Yoh laugh even harder and her blush even deeper. "Anyway… What is it? Why are you following me?" She crossed her arms and stuck her nose in the air and announced, "If you're planning on trying to stop me from leaving, then forget it! I've made up my mind!"

Yoh blinked confusedly and tilted his head to the side, "Wait-." He paused. "You're _leaving_?" he asked in a shocked tone.

Kagome anime fell before bonking Yoh over the head, "Duh! You didn't notice?"

Yoh rubbed his head and smiled embarrassedly, "Oh… I thought you were avoiding me because of what happened last night."

Kagome blinked, 'what happened last night?' she thought to herself before reflecting upon what had occurred between them last night. "Ohhhh, right." Kagome remembered. She had forgotten all about the small falling-out they had had the previous night. "Oh well, you were wrong. I'm leaving for about a month for special training with Sesshomaru."

"Oh." Yoh grinned sheepishly and continued, "Well… I have… something for you anyway," he said. Kagome blinked when the shaman boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a plain-string necklace with a tiny, clear jar attached to it. "I actually got it as an apology present, but I guess it'll work as a going away present as well." He placed it into Kagome's head and smiled as she held it up in the air to inspect it.

"…Hm…" She said thoughtfully while looking over the tiny jar, it had some unknown clear liquid inside that was nearly invisible because the jar was so shiny. "What is it…?" she finally asked.

"Tears," Yoh said bluntly. "Your tears, so take them." He commanded in a gentle manner.

Kagome stared down at Yoh with a frown on her face. "You liar," she replied. "The person who took away my tears disappeared a long time ago, there's no way you could have found her and gotten my tears back."

Yoh smiled and responded earnestly, "I'm not lying. They're tears for you. I made them for you… So they're yours."

"You… made these…?" Kagome asked slowly.

"Hai, hai," Yoh said embarrassedly. "I know it's a little weird but you're right, I couldn't find your sister. So I made tears of my own, and I'm giving them to you." He said. "I was hoping… that maybe they'd make you feel better."

…

"Yoh-kun…" Kagome whispered in the same soft tone that she had spoke in last night.

"Ah! I didn't make you upset did I?" Yoh panicked, waving his arms about frantically.

"No," Kagome replied in a shaky voice. "Just the opposite, you've made me happy."

"Huh?"

"You've made so happy that I just…" Kagome bit her lip and choked back a sob. Her eyes were suddenly burning hot and… so blurry. The girl gingerly lifted a hand to her face and gently touched her eyes. "What am I… doing…?" she asked herself. Hot liquid trailed down from her eye onto the single finger that brushed against her eyelid.

Yoh then stood up and dusted himself off before placing his hands on his hips and smiling proudly. "Well now, looks like my idea worked. You're crying after all."

"I am…?" Kagome asked as if she did not comprehend the concept or fact that tears were running down from her eyes. "I'm… crying…?" she asked.

"Yeah, doesn't it feel great to finally let out all of your emotions?" Yoh asked with a smile.

Kagome blinked her tears away as she sobbed some more. "Yoh!" The said boy was taken aback when the girl suddenly rammed herself into his chest and embraced him like there was no tomorrow. "Yoh!" she sobbed into his chest more and more. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry… I just… I just can't stop. I can't stop crying!"

Yoh smiled and placed a hand on top of Kagome's head and used his other to pull her even closer to him. "Kagome, it's alright. You can cry as much as you want."

"Thank you. Thank you so much!" Kagome cried even harder. The tears that she shed continuously were something so new that it seemed foreign and strange, but all that she knew was that crying made her feel better… It was like releasing the raging waters behind a dam that full to almost bursting open. 'It's all thanks to you again… Yoh…' she thought, feeling satisfied and calm after she cried all of the tears she had to offer. Now she realized why she had run away and avoided Yoh the previous night and minutes ago even after he pleaded with her and chased after her…

She wanted him to chase after her… She had wanted him to want to be with her as much as she wanted to be with him… That was why she decided to wait for him even though she knew she was on a tight schedule with Sesshomaru. Kagome wanted to feel important to him… Kagome sighed and smiled into the same chest that she had just sobbed into. She felt so safe and happy at the moment… She wanted to stay like this… forev-

"Kagome… Do you feel better?" Yoh asked while gently pushing back at her shoulders so he could look at her face.

Kagome blushed and looked off to the side, "Yeah, I guess… Thanks."

"Anytime," Yoh grinned and gave her thumbs up.

Kagome stifled a laugh and informed her best friend of her plans. "Anyway, I'll be leaving for special training with Sesshomaru for about a month and a half… So… We won't be able to see each other for a while."

Yoh pouted before whining, "But why? You could stay here and train with me!"

"Sesshomaru said you're a negative influence."

"He's a smart man," Yoh laughed, knowing the demonic spirit heard him.

"And also," Kagome added while mimicking Yoh's signature grins. "This is something that I really want to do now. It's a decision I made for myself."

Yoh then ruffled Kagome's hair and laughed, "Aww, that's so cute! Kagome is becoming so mature!" he teased.

Kagome swatted his hand away and placed her hands on her hips while smiling proudly, "It's about time you noticed! And I'm going to become a lot stronger while I'm gone too! That way when I come back, you can be the damsel in distress and I'll be the one to save you!"

Yoh frowned at the idea, "I don't really like the way that sounds for some reason…"

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

"Sesshomaru…" Kagome whispered while smiling up at the stars in the endless sky above her. She waited for her guardian to acknowledge her before continuing speaking.

"Hn?"

"…Today… I cried for the first time in what seems like ages…" Kagome stated. "People say crying is for the weak but… For some reason… I feel a lot stronger than I ever have before… Why is that…?" she asked with an innocent curiosity.

The two were now camping out on some grassy lands to the west of a river and a steep hill that lead up to the road they traveled on long after dark. After Kagome and Yoh said their goodbyes, Kagome and Sesshomaru set off to find the perfect training grounds for Kagome. Along the way the young girl found over a hundred ways to peeve the late demon lord; his favorite was her singing of random, off-tune, made-up tunes.

"Because… You've been healed." Was the reply from the guardian spirit.

"Healed, huh?" Kagome asked thoughtfully. The girl smiled inwardly and nodded in agreement, "I suppose so… I feel more certain and secure than I've had in forever."

The silver haired demon closed his eyes and stated out of the blue, "Once again, you owe that to the Asakura child."

Kagome blushed and laughed embarrassedly, "I guess that's another thing I have to pay back to him, nee? Ha ha."

"No." Sesshomaru retorted curtly.

"Eh?"

"You two are even on this account," Sesshomaru announced. "While your fears and insecurities were laid to rest by Asakura, at the same time, the boy had fears and insecurities of his own… In the process, they too were also put to rest."

Kagome blinked and tilted her head to the side curiously, "But what was Yoh afraid of?"

"You both are too young to understand right now."

"Hey! You brought it up so don't give me that!"

"Silence, Kagome."

"I'm not a dog you can silence on command!" the living partner of the two retorted.

"You have not eaten." Sesshomaru said. "As a part of your training, you will catch your dinner."

"Eh? _Catch_ my dinner?" Kagome asked incredulously. "It's not like we're in the wild where random wild animals are abundant!" She shot to her feet and used wild hand gestures to emphasize her point. Sesshomaru did nothing but stare the comical creature down, pondering why he had agreed to become partners with one such as her.

"Surely the river is full of fish," the demon lord pointed out.

"You speak in awfully short sentences," Kagome replied in a deadpanned voice. 'If you're going to drop hint-bombs then you could at least make an effort!' The young shaman shook the absent-minded thoughts from her head and smiled. "As terrible as swimming around in a freezing-cold river in the middle of the night sounds, I'll do it without question."

"That's more like it." The demonic spirit smirked gladly.

The young girl then proceeded to change out of her day outfit; which consisted of a white baby-doll T-Shirt, a pair of blue jean shorts, and a pair of white and yellow floral flip-flops; and into a loose white undershirt and loose-fitting cotton shorts. "Tada!" Kagome chirped while spinning around a little for her guardian, who stared at her from his seat on a conveniently planned boulder with disinterest. "What do you think? It's okay if I swim in light clothing like this, right?" she smiled.

"I have no advice for you."

"Okay, but what do you _think_?"

"I have no opinion of you either."

"You're so indifferent," Kagome anime fell. "Oh well, I'll get to it now!" With that said, the bouncy girl jogged towards the edge of the grass where the land met the water. The raven-haired teen tested the temperature of the water with the tip of her toe and cringed at the chill that shook through her body. "Mou, Sesshomaru! It's freezing!" she called over to her guardian spirit, who was merely observing her from his rocky perch.

"Do as you will." He replied.

"You're so indifferent," Kagome pouted while glaring at him a bit. She sighed and mentally shrugged it off, knowing that her glare did not faze him one bit. The girl then stuck one foot in the chilling water, which made her goose pimples appear all over her arms and legs. Then with another step into the river, Kagome found herself standing ankle-deep in the river where she would commence with her first hunt. "But wait, how do I find the fish in the dark?" Kagome asked while turning to Sesshomaru for answers.

"You need to be able to locate your enemy without depending on your eyes, feeling the aura of your enemy is much more efficient." Sesshomaru explained straightforwardly. Kagome nodded and turned back to the river, knowing that was all the information and advice her trainer would grant her.

'Luckily I trained with sensing energy with Kaede-baasan during my priestess training…' Kagome thought while closing her eyes. She calmed her heart and cleared her mind… Her will seeped from her body like invisible antennae and felt around for the nearest life force…

…

"Found it!" Kagome exclaimed while recklessly plunging into the river in the direction of what she assumed to be a fish of some kind. But the only thing she managed to do was dive face-first into the water, completely submerge, and resurface gasping for air and sputtering out accidentally swallowed water. "Ah! Pfft! Pfft!" She parted her bangs down the middle of her forehead because once soaked they became much longer so much that they covered her eyes. "Okay… That planned failed," she said aloud to herself. "I got too excited and just charged in…"

Kagome locked onto the same aura that she had felt before and slowly sloshed through the water; she failed to notice how the water level increased with every step she took. By now, she was up to her waist in water. But the young girl was now focused on catching the fish she would eat for dinner.

"When attempting to catch a fish with your bare hands, you are attempting to compete and overcome a competitor in its own natural element." Sesshomaru stated. "There are several ways to overcome such a foe with a great advantage… You must figu-"

"We're in some cheesy kung fu movie, Sesshomaru," Kagome stated while walking deeper into the river as she followed the aura she had long locked onto. By now the girl was up to her neck in water, but the water level was trivial to her because she learned to swim years ago when she was a girls' scout. The raven-haired teen took a deep breath before plunging underwater. When the girl opened her eyes, she was not surprised that it was too dark to see anything, even underwater. 'All I need to do is feel for the life forces down here and I should be fine…' she thought to herself.

And so the girl took off at the speed of an average swimmer after the fish she was so determined to catch. She ignored all of the other small auras of life around her; some of which did not even bother to scatter away from her as she went by. After a bit over a minute of holding of her breath, Kagome felt that she needed to resurface for air. The girl then proceeded to swim to the surface, which was now eleven feet above the sandy river floor. However the girl failed to know how a pesky, stray tangle of seaweed managed to weave around her ankle until she found that she could swim no higher than three feet below the surface.

Kagome almost gasped in shock as she looked around for whatever was holding her back, but the water was so dark that she could not see a thing but dark blue. 'Crap! It _had _to be a new moon tonight!' she cursed in of her mind. 'Sesshomaru, help me!' she attempted to call out to her spirit with her mind… a technique that she never mastered while training under her paternal grandmother, Kaede. 'Sesshomaru, where are you?' she thought frantically. 'He's my guardian! He's supposed to sense when I'm in danger! I don't care if this is a part of the training; I need help!' she panicked inside of her mind.

The girl felt around and could not find anything. Her mind was clouded by panic and cold of the river masked the feel of the cold, slimy seaweed around her ankle. Her lungs were itchy and burning for air…

She needed to breathe… She needed to inhale and exhale. She needed-

Kagome coughed, a misshapened air bubble escaped from her mouth as she did so. That was when water rushed into her mouth and she unconsciously inhaled. The foreign invader that filled her lungs stung and her body convulsed slightly from the pain. She could no longer think. Her body fruitlessly clawed from the surface. Eventually her vision faded to black… The girl could not completely comprehend or recall what happened to her afterwards but her body could still feel and function. She did not understand what was happening, but every so often her eyes would open and she could _see_. At the time Kagome did not realize it but she frequently and continuously drifted in and out of consciousness, seeing and experiencing different things as she faded in and out.

Someone larger than her brung her into their arms…

She was dragged to the surface by that person…

She was lying on her back in the soft, dry grass…

There was a face hovering above her… 'Who is it…?' Her hazy and fading vision made out tanned skin, brown hair, dark eyes, and boyish face… That person was talking to her but she could not hear what they were saying; her head was too light and fuzzy… So fuzzy… So hazy…

For a single moment, her vision cleared after she blinked and she could make out a face she recognized. 'Yoh…' she thought, but did not understand.

An arm hoisted up her neck as a cold hand cupped her cheek. There was something soft on her lips. Something was forced into her mouth and down her throat. Something pushed roughly against her chest… The process repeated into she painfully coughed up water.

'Yoh… You saved me… Thank you…' She thought with small, grateful smile.

The boy nodded and smiled back at her… 'No…' she thought for some reason. The smile was not the smile of _her _Yoh. _Her_ Yoh's smile was either always cheerful and sweet or a big, goofy grin… _This_ Yoh's smile was more on the smirk-ish side… _This_ Yoh had _her _Yoh's face… So who else could it be…? But it could not have been _her _Yoh…

_Her_ Yoh would not have pressed his lips onto hers unnecessarily… No… It was not _her_ Yoh… It must have been someone else…

With those hazy thoughts, once again, everything faded to black…

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G. **

"Yoh!" Kagome shot up screaming as she awakened from what felt like a dream; a cold, _wet _dream. Her heart was pounding for some reason… 'It must have happened… but it feels so unreal.' She then looked left and right and inwardly cringed when she found that she was no longer lying outside at her campsite but in a rather nice and extravagant-looking room…

In the soft morning light that slipped in through the thin crack of the fine, gold curtains, the entire room seemed to illuminate and look as if it were made of pure gold. Kagome supposed silver and gold was the theme of the room, for everything inside was either of the two colors. The dresser on the right side of the room was a matching crème color and the handles were painted gold, the fuzzy carpet seemed to glistened as if it were made of fuzzy silver, even the super soft and smooth sheets on the bed were silver and gold beneath the many layers… Everything looked like they belonged to someone _rich_.

Kagome looked down at her body and gasped sharply when she saw that she was no longer in the outfit she had thrown together to swim in, but in a pair of fine pajamas that were very soft and smooth and were a soft gold-ish creme color. The shirt was short-sleeved, the bottoms were capri's, and the trimming around all of the edges were decorative and wavy. They really were nice and such, and Kagome probably would have fell in love with them if someone had not changed her clothes while she was sleeping, or unconscious, and seen her naked!

"AAAaaaaaahhhhhhh! No! No! Pervert, didn't even ask! I can't believe this! Now I'll never get married! Oh, no! Yoh, forgive me! It wasn't my fault!" Kagome shrieked while throwing the many pillows off of her bed and hitting random targets that knocked the white feathers out of the poor head cushions. The overreacting girl did not even noticed someone enter the room during her tirade as she continued to throw pillows and scream.

"Kagome-chan, are you awa-!" A stray pillow made direct contact with someone's face and their own scream was muffled by the pillow.

"Eh…" Kagome sweat dropped and froze when she heard someone say her name. "Huh?"

The pillow slowly slid off of the person's face in a comical, unrealistic fashion before plopping onto the floor. Kagome gasped when she finally saw who it was. "Tao Jun-san!" she exclaimed in shock. "What are you- What am I doing here?"

Once the green haired, older teen recovered from the unexpected attack she smiled a bit embarrassedly at Kagome and said, "Well we found you lying unconscious in our backyard last night so we brought you in." The young woman then took the liberty of settling down on the side of Kagome's bed. Kagome blushed a bit when Jun brushed her bangs to the side while placing her hand on her forehead. "You had a bit of a fever when we found you, but it seems like it went down."

Kagome nodded gratefully and inquired, "By we, you mean-?"

Jun chuckled at the younger girl and Kagome felt a bit unnerved by it. "I mean Bailong and I." she answered honestly. "Ren said he heard splashing coming from the reservoir so Bailong and I went outside to see what it was… That was when I found you."

"Ah… Thank you then," Kagome smiled a bit. She was still a bit on edge around the older teen because of their past encounter. Despite the fact that Yoh and Manta explained to her that she and Bailong ended up with a change of heart, she was unconscious and never witnessed it herself… "By the way, who…" Kagome looked to the side when the older teen made eye contact with her. She could not ask such a question while looking the older girl in the eye. "Changed my clothes…?"

"Why Ren did of course," Jun answered with an amused smile.

"EH?" The girl's face was instantly dyed a deep red.

"Just kidding," Jun added with another smile. Kagome fell over from either relief or shock. "I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberties myself. I figured you would feel uncomfortable if a complete stranger did it, so I decided against having a servant change you."

'But I feel uncomfortable knowing anyone changed me…' Kagome whined inside of her mind. "A-Anyway…"

"I had someone prepare a nice hot bath for you, Kagome-chan," Jun announced, cutting the small talk short. "I'll have someone bring you your belongings in a bit. In the meantime, take a bath and get dressed… Breakfast will be ready in an hour."

Kagome reached out for the older teen as she walked out of the door smiling cheerfully. "Wait! Jun-san!" she called out. But the green haired girl did not heed her request. Kagome sighed and climbed out of bed. 'I don't even know where the bathroom is…' she thought absent mindedly.

"You lived," a familiar, masculine voice stated bluntly from behind her.

Kagome smiled and replied, "Well of course, no thanks to you, Sesshomaru." There were three doors in the room. Kagome knew one of them lead out of the room because Jun entered and exited through it. Kagome looked between the other two doors, which were at opposite ends of the room… After deciding on one of them, Kagome walked up to it and slowly peeked inside… It was a dark closet that was as large as her old room… 'Wow, I figured the Tao's were rich but this is…' she thought to herself.

Kagome then walked to the last door and opened it… It was another large, dark room but it was much larger than the closet. Kagome flipped on a light switch and gasped when the room brightened up. The bathroom was huge; it was larger than her the closet, which was already much bigger than her old room! The theme of the bathroom matched the theme of her room. But better yet, the bathtub was at least three feet wide and four feet deep! There was even a separate area for the shower! 'I've died and gone to heaven!' she thought blissfully as she eased into the hot bath prepared for her…

After twenty minutes of relaxing, the peaceful bliss Kagome was experiencing was broken by a couple knocks on the door. "Kagome-sama," an unfamiliar, feminine voice called from behind the closed door. "I brought your bag, a change of clothes, and a hot towel for you." The unknown girl announced. "May I come in?" she asked politely.

Kagome ducked her body lowered into the water and nodded even though the girl could not see her, "Uh, yeah. Come in!" she replied nervously. The door knob twisted and turned twice before a teenage girl that was a couple years older than Kagome entered the steamy bathroom. 'She's really pretty…' Kagome thought absently as the girl bowed to introduce herself.

"Good morning, Kagome-sama," the girl stated politely. "My name is Tao Sango and I will be your personal assistant as of today." The girl now known as Sango had long brown hair that was tied into a low ponytail near her waist, blue-violet eyes shaped out with pink eyeliner, a thin layer of lip-gloss, and she was wearing a pink yukata that was decorated with red butterfly designs with a yellow obi. Sango was holding Kagome's huge yellow bag in one hand and had what looked to be a yellow dress tucked over her free arm. "Where should I put your things, Kagome-sama?" asked the beautiful older teen.

"Ah- You don't have to call me Kagome-sama; most people call me Kagome-chan, so you can too!" Kagome replied with a friendly smile. "And you can put my bag on the floor, leave the towel on the sink, and put those clothes on the toilet seat." Sango nodded and complied with Kagome's specific requests.

"Nee… Sango-chan?"

"Sango…chan?" the older teen asked back with furrowed eyebrows.

"Eh, yes. It's your name, right? Sango-chan!" Kagome chirped back with a smile.

Sango stared at the younger girl for a moment… No one had ever called her Sango-chan before. And never before had she met someone that acted so familiar and friendly with her when they just met. Sango merely nodded and asked, "yes, what is it?"

"You're a Tao but… Why are you acting like a servant?" Kagome asked curiously. "Especially when you're so pretty too."

Sango ignored how shallow Kagome's last comment was and smiled at the girl, "Well… This is my duty because I was born insignificant."

"What do you mean by?"

"It's nothing you should worry about," Sango replied. "You should hurry and get dressed. Breakfast will be ready soon and Jun-sama would like you to arrive promptly. I shall escort you when you are ready."

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

"Sango-chan, look!" Kagome exclaimed excitedly as she excited the bathroom, fully clothed. "My yukata matches yours!" she said with a smile.

Sango, who had been standing and waiting for Kagome to emerge from the bathroom for fifteen minutes, nodded and smiled approvingly at the younger girl. "I see, you look very cute in it." The girl was wearing a yellow yukata with a pink obi and orange butterfly designs on it.

"Thanks!" Kagome nodded. "Well, I'm ready to go!" she announced. Sango did not expect for Kagome to suddenly hook and lock arms with her. "So Sango-chan, how are you related to Jun-san?" Kagome asked to make small talk as they walked arm and arm towards to the designated dining area.

"I am Jun-sama and Ren-sama's cousin." Sango responded. "Our mothers were sisters."

Kagome decided not ask why Sango said "were" and instead of "are"… A lot of the time when a child was missing a parent, the memory was painful to recall… That was the way it was for Kagome and her father.

"Kagome-chan…" Sango began. "May I ask you a question now?"

"Uh, sure, of course!" Kagome replied absently as she took in her surroundings during their unsurprisingly long walk to wherever it was that they were going to dine in.

"What are you to the Tao family?" the older teen inquired curiously.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked back in a confused manner.

"I know you are not blood related, so I am wondering why Jun-sama and Ren-sama is taking such good care of you." Sango stated in a thoughtful manner. "As you can see, the Tao family is a prestigious family blessed with wealthy and many valuable connections."

"I know! I never knew that someone like Tao Ren would come from such an elegant background!" Kagome chirped with a smile.

"Kagome-chan…" Sango said in a grave tone. "You must also know that the Tao family is notorious as it is prestigious… This family…" The young Tao unconsciously balled up her hand into a tight fist and narrowed her eyes angrily. "Has many dark secrets. And they are not the type of people you want to get mixed up with."

Kagome looked up at her new friend's face worriedly… But Sango kept looking straight forward. 'Sango-chan… You refer the Tao family as "they" instead of "we"… Why…?' Kagome wanted to ask her this but she refrained from doing so. Whatever it was about the Tao family that disturbed Sango so much must have been something too deep and personal for Kagome just try to suddenly pry into… So she would not. And something told her that if she stuck around long enough, she would soon find out anyway.

A tense silence fell between the two of them so Kagome decided to just focus on memorizing her surroundings. A lot of the decorations on the wall were not of traditional Japanese culture. Kagome guessed that it was from somewhere in Asia. In one room they even had a collection of ancient scrolls and weapons on the wall. "We're here," Sango said while unhooking Kagome's arm, which made the younger girl cry out from surprise and disappointment. But Kagome was then silenced by a sad smile Sango gave here.

Sango then opened a door in front of them and stepped inside of the room with Kagome following close behind her. There was a rectangular marble table in the middle of the room where Jun and Ren sat on parallel sides of it. The table had already been aligned with an array of classy breakfast dishes and was complete with a fine, crème tablecloth and expensive-looking china dishware and silverware. When the dissimilar siblings looked up at Kagome and Sango in unison and silence.

Kagome blinked and felt lost when Sango suddenly got down on her knees and did an exaggerated arm gestured that pointed to her. "Jun-sama, Ren-sama… I now present to you… Higurashi Kagome-sama!" Sango announced.

Ren, who had been sitting with elbow on the tabletop and the side of his head in his hand, frowned at Kagome and stated impatiently, "Well it's about time."

Kagome huffed indignantly and placed her hands on her hips, "As if it's my fault!"

Sango, who had not gotten up from her kneeling position, suddenly cut in, "Excuse me, but my apologies. It is my fault that Kagome-sama was tardy for breakfast."

Kagome laughed nervously before extending her hand towards her new friend and said, "Sango-chan, we both know it's not your fault either. So you don't have to apologize to anyone… Anyway, I told you already, call me Kagome-chan." She smiled warmly at the older teen, mentally urging her to accept her helping hand.

"You are too kind, Kagome-sama," Sango replied while getting to her feet without Kagome's offered assistance. The girl dusted off her yukata and bowed to Jun and Ren, "Please enjoy your meal."

"Thank you, Sango," Jun responded politely. "You are excused." Sango nodded before exiting the room, and leaving the two other Tao's and Kagome to their breakfast.

'What is going on here…?' Kagome asked herself.

"Kagome-chan, come sit! Eat with us!" Jun suddenly commanded politely with a friendly smile. Kagome obliged and took a seat at the head end of the table. Jun watched the younger girl with a pleased expression as Kagome looked between all of the dished with brightened eyes.

"Wah… They all look so good!" Kagome announced admiringly.

"Please, help yourself." Jun said politely while lightly gesturing towards Kagome with a single hand. "We insist that you take the first pick." She looked across the table at her younger brother and asked with a chuckle. "Right, Ren?"

"Oh, well. Thanks, don't mind if I do," Kagome smiled brightly while trying to decide what to eat first. Her eyes settled on an omelet that was at least two feet long and a six inches wide. "I'll give this a try!" she announced. Jun nodded and smiled while passing Kagome the tray with the omelet on it. Kagome sliced a quarter inch of it for her and used her fork to place it onto her plate.

With that, the most awkward meal that Kagome had ever eaten began. She smiled politely and pretended to not feel uncomfortable sitting there at the table with two past enemies… Well… Jun was already beginning to grow on her but Kagome felt like an insect under a microscope during the entire course of the meal because as Ren ate his food, his sharp, scrutinizing eyes never left her face. Eventually, Kagome could not take it anymore…

_{BAM!}_

Her tiny hands slammed flat down onto the tabletop and Kagome suddenly shot up from her seat. Ren keep a solid pokerface as he continued eating without blinking, despite the intense and angry glare Kagome was now giving him. "What the heck is your problem? You've been staring at me this entire time!" Kagome shouted in an outraged manner.

"Oh my, Kagome-chan…" Jun said nervously, waving her hand to calm Kagome down.

"If you have something to then just say it!" Kagome spat unceremoniously.

Once Ren finished all of the food on his plate, he neatly patted his mouth with a silky napkin before meeting Kagome's glare with one of his one. "If you must know," he began pompously. "I was wondering why you don't wear a bra."

"Eh."

Kagome paled.

A cold wind suddenly swept through the dining room…

* * *

**Chapter 10: **

**His Fears, Her Tears**

**!ENDS!**

Authoress' Notes: I didn't except for this chapter to turn out this long! I hope this didn't bore anyone… Heh heh… I was half tempted to slit this chapter into two and make two separate chapters once I realized it would turn out longer than usual chapters… But I was like… _Nah._ I promised some Hao and Tao family action so here it is!

And I know, I know… The Hao action was cheap buutttt that's what I had planned. I love the Hao-teasers! Because everyone is dying to read Kagome/Hao, but I'm going to make you truly want it before you get it! Besides, it's time to go into a short Tao family arc! *grins*

And what will become of Yoh and the others…? Well, we will be peeking into what they're doing in every chapter! I miss Yoh-kun already though! D:

Oh! And as for this chapter, you must be wondering why I did not cut the chapter off after Kagome and Yoh "made up"… Well, the last part of the chapter was a bit of a reference to Yoh's fears. I don't know if anyone gets it but… Lol, I know I do. There probably won't be a lot of Kagome/Yoh for a while too so… Yeah, get ready to die of starvation Kagome/Yoh fans! D: No, I'm kidding. Of course there will be more Kagome/Yoh!

And of course, look forward to in the next chapter: Kagome/Ren, Sango and Kohaku angst, and more!

R&R or I'll be sad!

Give me extra love for making this chapter 31-32 pages! :D


	11. Emulate! First Date! The Two Becoming

Authoress' Notes: Okay, yay! This update is finally… up! Oh well, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!

Special Chapter Dedication to: My awesome beta Bishonen'sFoxyMiko; she's so good to me! And she's a good writer so feel free to drop onto her profile when you finish reading! I'm promise you won't be disappointed! :D

Disclaimer: I only own the plot of this fanfic! And what else? Hm… Let's see… Nope, that's about it.

* * *

_**Previously on Shaman King…**_

_With that, the most awkward meal that Kagome had ever eaten began. She smiled politely and pretended to not feel uncomfortable sitting there at the table with two past enemies… Well… Jun was already beginning to grow on her but Kagome felt like an insect under a microscope during the entire course of the meal because as Ren ate his food, his sharp, scrutinizing eyes never left her face. Eventually, Kagome could not take it anymore… _

_{BAM!}_

_Her tiny hands slammed flat down onto the tabletop and Kagome suddenly shot up from her seat. Ren keep a solid pokerface as he continued eating without blinking, despite the intense and angry glare Kagome was now giving him. "What the heck is your problem? You've been staring at me this entire time!" Kagome shouted in an outraged manner._

"_Oh my, Kagome-chan…" Jun said nervously, waving her hand to calm Kagome down. _

"_If you have something to then just say it!" Kagome spat unceremoniously. _

_Once Ren finished all of the food on his plate, he neatly patted his mouth with a silky napkin before meeting Kagome's glare with one of his one. "If you must know," he began pompously. "I was wondering why you don't wear a bra."_

"_Eh."_

_Kagome paled._

_A cold wind suddenly swept through the dining room…_

**Chapter 11: **

**Emulate? First Date? ****– ****The Two Becoming… Friends**

Kagome's face turned as red as a tomato and her small frame began to tremble violently… She was like a volcano that was ready to blow its top. "Grrr… TAO REN, YOU LITTLE CREEP! IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, PERVERT! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU JUST ASKED ME THAT!" Kagome exploded all at once.

Ren, who was sitting with closed eyes and crossed arms, much like Anna would, merely peeked one eye open at the fuming girl and replied calmly and collectively, "It's not my fault that you're a braless freak."

The boy's calm, callous attitude did not make Kagome feel any better and she huffed again and continued, "Why you little-!" She caught herself before she would continue to embarrass herself in front of the two Tao's. Kagome took a deep breath that was more like another frustrated huff than anything, and then sighed. 'Why do things like this happen to me…?' she asked miserably. For the moment she was in the care of the two Tao siblings, so she would have to be polite and keep her cool… Even though she just failed at it moments earlier.

"Ah… Kagome-chan, I almost forgot," Jun said, changing the subject with a sweet smile and a clap of her hands together. "How would you like to stay with us for a while? I assume that you left Yoh-kun so you're on your own now." She said in a tone that came off as all-too-happy to Kagome.

"Oh right!" Kagome stated suddenly, a light bulb lit up above her head. She gently slammed her fist into the palm of her other hand and announced, "I almost forgot! The reason I'm out on my own is because of my special training!"

That statement caught both of the Tao siblings' attention, but only Jun outwardly showed interest in what the girl said. "What special training would that be?" Jun asked curiously.

Kagome lowered her head for a moment, mentally debating whether it would be wise or not if she told the two about her shaman training. 'Well… I guess it's okay… It doesn't seem like they want to hurt me…' she thought to herself. "Eh heh, well… I'm not much of a shaman just yet and I want to participate in the upcoming tournament, so Sesshomaru and I left to find the perfect training grounds for me to begin my special shaman training." She admitted honestly albeit nervously. She was still unsure of what reactions she would receive but-

"Ahhhh, Kagome-chan," Jun placed a hand to her cheek fondly and nearly squealed from delight. "That's wonderful; perfect actually!" the older female replied.

"Just what do you mean by that?" Ren asked in a suspicious tone. If he knew his sister as well as he thought he did, he knew she was planning on-

"Kagome-chan, you're more than welcome to conduct your special training here at the Tao residence!" Jun exclaimed. Ren sweat dropped in the background; he knew it.

Kagome smiled a bit and attempted to politely decline the offer with a small wave of her hand, "That's very kind of you but…"

"Nonsense! I won't take no for an answer!" Jun said while taking hold of Kagome's hand within her larger ones. Kagome faltered when the green haired teen looked at her with sparkling, starry eyes of hope and excitement. "Kagome-chan… We _must_ have you!"

"J-Jun-san…" Kagome sweated uneasily while fighting the urge to slip away from the eager and antsy Jun. "I'm not sure if Sesshomaru would approve of this…"

On cue, the demonic spirit emerged and finally made his presence known to everyone. The instant the man appeared, the room fell silent because the aura he gave off was not only powerful and dangerous, but it was regal and demanded the utmost respect and undivided attention.

"Se-Sesshomaru…" Kagome stuttered, feeling more and more on edge now that her guardian spirit was there.

"Kagome…" Sesshomaru began curtly. "You failed at last night's assignment."

"Eh? Don't tell me you're still on that!"

Jun got to her feet and bowed deeply to the spirit, which took Ren and Kagome aback, but Sesshomaru did not even bat an eyelash from it. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you under more pleasant circumstances, Sesshomaru-sama…" she said politely and respectfully.

"Sweet words have no effect on me, woman," Sesshomaru replied in an unimpressed tone. "If you have something to say then say it straightforwardly."

Jun inwardly winced but put on a fake smile that twitched from annoyance. She laughed behind her hand and stated, "My, quite the joker you are…"

"Do not jest with me." The silver haired man responded callously.

"Sesshomaru, stop being so mean when you see Jun-san is trying her hardest to get along with you!" Kagome scolded with a disapproving frown. She huffed when her guardian spirit did not even spare her a glance of acknowledgement.

"Sesshomaru-sama…" Jun began slowly. "I think it would be best if Kagome-chan stayed and trained here… Not only is there a large dojo with plenty of space, but the backyard which you two were camping in last night is also ideal for training… We have an abundance of secluded space available for use."

"…And you are inviting Kagome and I to stay here free of charge?" Sesshomaru inquired suspiciously, expecting for there to be a catch of some kind. "Just what are you two up to? Not too long ago you were enemies."

Jun chuckled while flipping open a paper fan and hiding her face behind it. "I assure you, there is no catch at all… You two are welcome to stay here and train as long as you'd like. All facilities and servants are available for your use at any time and hour. You're not required to pay for room or board, nor do you have to do any favors for us." She explained.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and asked, "And what do you gain for offering such unprecedented kindness and hospitality to Kagome?"

Kagome cut in again, "Sesshomaru, don't you see that Jun-san is only trying to be nice?" she asked. "You have to learn to trust people more often and give them the benefit of the doubt. I say we take up the offer!" 'Wait-' Kagome flinched and thought to herself in a horrified manner, 'What am I saying? Just a moment ago I didn't want to stay and now-' Her blue-gray eyes widened at her next thought, 'Is that what they call _reverse psychology_?' Neither Sesshomaru nor Jun even noticed Kagome spacing off into her conjured up wonderland of horror.

The conversation, and Kagome's train of thought, was once again interrupted by the sound of wood scraping against the hard, marble floor as Ren stood up from his seat at the breakfast table. "Tao… Where are you going?" Kagome asked curiously as she watched Ren head for the nearest exit.

"I have no interest in this conversation whatsoever," Ren replied bluntly while taking his leave without another word of explanation. "Jun already knows how I feel about the matter."

Kagome blinked as she stared at Ren's retreating back for a few more moments before turning back to Sesshomaru with an excited smile. "So what do you say, Sesshomaru?"

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

"Se-ssho-ma-RRRRUUUUUU!" Kagome bawled with tears in her eyes. "My legs are going to fall off!" she cried out. To her, that statement was not an exaggeration. As a part of her basic training Sesshomaru was going to cram the basics Shoreigojuru-style martial arts into the first few days… And for the past four hours she had been practicing "form", in the same stance. She was standing with a stance in which she was squatting down so much that her butt was about to the touch the floor with both of her legs spread apart with her knees and feet pointing outward in opposite directions. Her legs were burning and weak… So weak… "Ah hhaaaa!" she cried, "It hurts!"

Only she and Sesshomaru occupied the large wooden dojo that was beside the extravagant downtown apartment complex the Tao family owned. Initially the shear size and fanciness of everything around her fascinated and excited Kagome, but now she wished she was back at the Asakura residence, where she would probably be making lunch with Ryu at the moment… 'I wonder what he's making right now…' she thought absently and slightly forlornly. 'I wonder what Yoh and Manta-kun are doing…? And is HoroHoro-kun still around? Since I'm still in Tokyo, maybe I can-' The girl's train of thought was cut short when she suddenly found that the ground was no longer under her feet.

She was weightless…

Crash. A pounding pain on the back of her head. The light was shining directly down onto her face. Kagome was lying flat on her back.

"Ow…" she moaned… She was dazed. "What… happened?" she asked while slowly sitting up, her hand rubbing the back of her head. Kagome blinked when suddenly the light was blocked and a shadow was overcast onto her. The moment she looked up from her unceremonious position on the floor her blue-gray clashed with Ren's molten-gold ones. He scowled down at her with his kwan-dao out and in his hand. The girl scowled upon seeing the face of the boy, who obviously had it out for her. Now she realized what happened. In an instant the girl was on her feet and glaring in the face of Ren, "You jerk, you tripped me!"

"It's not my fault your stance isn't firm." The purple haired boy replied while turning his back to Kagome. "If it's that easy to make you fall flat on your back then you'll surely die in the Shaman Tournament."

"Why you little-!"

"That's enough, Kagome," Sesshomaru interrupted before the young shaman could begin one of her infamous tirades. "The boy is right. You're far too weak to stand a chance against any of the opponents that will surely arise during the tournament… Show some reserve and bite your tongue for once."

That was it!

Kagome huffed indignantly while crossing her arms over her chest and stomping her foot onto the hardwood floor. "Bite MY tongue?" she questioned angrily. "This guy has been nothing but rude to me ever since I've gotten here, and I have to bite MY tongue? No way, José! Not this time! Not anymore!" She shot at Sesshomaru, whose stoic expression did not waver from the intensity of the anger aimed at him. The fuming girl then turned her anger and directed it at the pointy-haired Tao. "And you- If you've got a problem with me then just spit it out instead of pussyfooting around like an immature child!"

Ren crossed his arms and stuck his nose in the air, "Immature?" he scoffed at the statement. "This is coming from Kagome, the Braless Wonder." He taunted, a small smirk tugging at his lips.

Kagome's face turned scarlet red before she crossed her arms over her small bosom defensively. "It's none of your business! Like someone like YOU would understand!" Kagome shouted back. Now she was embarrassed. "Ugh! Forget it!" She gave up while stomping towards the nearest exit, and passed Ren and Sesshomaru along the way without another word to either of them. "I'm going to find Jun-san and get out of this crazy place TODAY!" But before she could even make it out of the door- Kagome found herself walking straight into something rock hard with such force that she would have fallen flat onto her butt if the person had not caught her in mid-fall.

Kagome blushed from embarrassment while slowing looking up at her savior, "Ah, thanks. Sorry that I'm such a klu-"

Kagome made direct eye contact with a pair of familiar cobalt-colored eyes.

"Ba- Bailong?" Kagome gasped; she had almost forgotten that Bailong was no longer a destructive, angry kyonshi under Jun's control. The muscular young man nodded and smiled while setting the girl gently on her feet. "What are you doing here? Did you come to train?" she asked with a curious tilt of her head.

The martial artist shook his head negatively and responded, "I was sent here by Jun-sama to retrieve you and bring you to her."

"Jun-san is looking for me?" Kagome asked with a cute blink of her eyes.

"Hai. She wishes for you to accompany her on an errand."

"An errand, huh?" Kagome asked aloud. She looked over her shoulder at Ren who apparently forgotten about her presence already and had taken off his shirt and begun his training. She glared at him spitefully and thought to herself, 'I guess running some errand with Jun-san would be a lot better than being around this jerk.'

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

"Ano…" Kagome shifted uncomfortably on the fine, leather seat she and Jun were situated on. For some reason, they were riding through downtown Tokyo in a limousine. Pedestrians and other motor vehicle drivers gaped curiously and nosily wherever they went. When they stopped at red lights, some people even had the audacity to attempt to peer through the tinted windows to see who was inside the expensive vehicle. "Jun-san…"

"Ah, ah, ah," the green haired teen waved her finger from side to side. "That's onee-san to you, Kagome-chan." Jun corrected for the umpteenth time on the trip.

"Eh…" Kagome smiled uncomfortably as she sweat dropped at Jun's response. "But you're not my sister, Jun-san. And we hardly know each other, why should I call you 'onee-san'?"

Jun chuckled behind her hand and explained in a vague but knowing manner. "You may not think of me as your sister now, but we'll be together for a while. And soon enough, we _will_ be sisters, Kagome-chan."

"Is that possible?" Kagome wondered aloud while tilting her head to the side. "Can two people become related just by hanging out for a while?" Kagome inquired rhetorically. "…I don't think so." She answered herself beneath her breath.

"One way for unrelated people to become related is through marriage," Jun replied with a smile. The green haired teen was hoping that the younger girl would catch on to the hint bombs that she had dropping to her all day long. "What do you think, Kagome-chan?" the older teenager asked curiously. There was no way even a child as dense as Kagome would miss that hint.

"…" Kagome crossed her arms and closed her eyes for a moment, while thinking deeply and seriously to herself. "Hm…" she began slowly and thoughtfully. "If that happens…" she said.

"Hai?" Jun asked with an almost hopeful, expecting tone.

"Would that make Tao Ren my brother?" Kagome asked innocently.

Jun anime fell. 'Ka…gome-chan…' she thought in a shocked manner. 'No arrows of love can penetrate your fortress of obliviousness.' The green haired teen looked out the window and smiled excitedly when she saw they had reached their destination: an expensive women's clothing store… of a specific kind.

Kagome blinked in wonder at the size of the store… She had no clue what they were doing there or what they were shopping for, but for some reason, but seeing such a big store made Kagome giddy and excited.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

"Eh..." the younger of the duo said.

Her excitement upon pulling up to the store had retracted.

The moment Kagome and Jun set foot into the store, Kagome froze on the spot. From the outside, she could tell that the store was a women's clothing store but there had been no indication that more specifically, it was a women's _underwear _shop! Rack upon rack, and shelf upon shelf, were stocked with mostly various styles of bras and panties. And the store was bustling with plenty of other females, and even some males, of different ages. Kagome tried to avert her wide eyes from the scene in front her by looking off to the left, but only succeeded in getting an eyeful of lacy, scandalous-looking undergarments.

"Ahh! Jun-san!" Kagome exclaimed while covering her face to hide the redness of her cheeks and the shield her eyes from further torture. "Why did you bring me here? I thought we were running errands!"

Jun giggled from amusement and replied honestly, "Well because, it's imperative that a classy young lady such as yourself become more dignified by wearing proper undergarments. Don't you agree?"

"B-But I already wear panties and sometimes undershirts when it's cold!" Kagome responded animatedly without uncovering her eyes. "I don't need anything else!" The flustered girl exclaimed.

Jun stifled an amused chuckle from the younger girl's claim and closed her eyes peacefully. She took a moment to think of how she was going to explain certain things to the younger so that she would understand without becoming even more embarrassed that she already was. "Kagome-chan…" Jun began in a soft, soothing tone while placing a single hand on the said girl's shoulder. She even bent over a bit to get down more on Kagome's level while still being mindful of the slitted, Chinese dress she was wearing.

"Hm?" Kagome replied shyly while slowing peaking at Jun by opening narrow spaces between her fingers since her hands still covered her face and she did not intend on removing them for a while.

"I think Kagome-chan should start wearing brassieres because even though right now, she's still developing, one day, she will be a fully blossomed young lady who will have to wear them in order to appear respectful in the eyes of noblemen," Jun explained slowly and in a kind sort of manner.

Kagome could not help but think that she was not classy, nor was she was a lady. And because of that… Because of that… It flashed her back to a time that occurred a year ago, when she was twelve years old and before she moved to Tokyo…

"_Kagome-chan, I'm gonna go on a bread run, do you want anything?" asked Kagome's one of Kagome's three best friends, Yuka. She was an lively girl with shoulder-length black hair that she always complemented with her favorite pink bow, and large brown eyes._

"_Eh… Maybe just some melon juice," Kagome replied while smiling up at the girl from her place at her desk. Class 1-A, their homeroom class, were now in the middle of their lunch hour, where most kids unpacked homemade lunches made by their mothers. Yuka, who never knew her mother, was one of the few children who brought money to buy food from the school cafeteria and vending machines. And everyday at their lunch hour, Yuka would make a "bread run" where she would take a trip to the cafeteria and vending machines for everyone who wanted something from there… She was such a nice girl to make the trip to and from all by herself and paid with her own money, which no one ever returned._

_Kagome made the bread run with Yuka a few times and every time she did so, Yuka would look a bit displeased with her. The blue-gray eyed preteen asked Yuka why she always wanted to do the run alone but her friend never answered the question… _

"_Alright! I'll be back everyone!" Yuka exclaimed as she sprinted out of the classroom and into the hallway where everyone in the classroom heard the hall monitor yell at Yuka to stop running in the halls, causing them all to laugh at the girl's antics collectively… _

"_So Ayumi-chan, Kagome-chan, have you noticed something new about Yuka-chan lately?" Eri asked in a hush but excited voice. Eri, the girl with the shortest hair of them all, turned sideways in her seat so that she could lean into her other two friends; in turn, Kagome and Ayumi followed suit, and the three of them created a small huddle._

"_Oh yeah! I have!" Ayumi piped quietly with a giggle._

_Kagome looked confusedly between her two friends and asked, "Wait- What? What is it?" She inquired with desperate curiosity._

"_Ugh! Ka-go-me-chan!" The two said in exasperated voices. _

"_You're so dense, you never notice anything," Ayumi stated in a playful tone._

_Kagome frowned and grunted, "Just tell me already!"_

"_You know how Bankotsu-kun and Renkotsu-kun were checking us out the other day?" Eri asked Kagome. When Kagome nodded twice frantically, Eri raised a knowledgeable finger into the air and explained, "Well Yuka-chan was really mad about some of the things they said so she went home and told her father. And you know what he did…?"_

"_No, what?" Kagome asked._

"_He made her start wearing a bra!" Eri stated before she and Ayumi squealed._

_Just the mention of the word "bra" caused Kagome to go flushing red. "O-Oh," was all she could say and she looked down into her lap… Kagome had never been good with talking, or even thinking, about such things… Like her body… And dating… And… stuff. She felt a bit odd at times but ever since the new school year began, everyone was suddenly talking about boyfriends and girlfriends and k-… kissing._

"_I wish I could wear one!" Eri admitted while sighing and slumping in her seat a bit. "But my mom said she's not going to waste her money on buying something smaller than an A-Cup."_

"_Wow, harsh," Ayumi replied in a sympathesizing tone. Now it the wavy haired girl's turn to confess about her progress in the physical development department. "I asked my mom about it last night and after she looked at me, she said that she would take me in Friday after school to get my measurements taken so she can buy a nice-fitting bra!" She exclaimed excitedly._

"_Aw; no fair, Ayumi-chan!" Eri pouted. "Your mom is cool like that! You're probably just an A-CUP too!" she pointed out._

"_Well, I'm not sure about my size," Ayumi admitted with a gentle smile. The wavy-haired girl was the most easy-going and open about everything between the four of them. "But you know needs to start wearing a bra today?" she whispered with a sly smile._

"_Who?" Kagome blinked._

"_You do!" Eri and Ayumi piped in unison again while simultaneously pointing at her._

_Eri frowned at Kagome and pointed out, "Kagome-chan, I don't see how you don't notice but you've got the biggest knockers in our class!"_

_Kagome paled; just the thought of that made her feel a chill._

"_Yeah!" Ayumi agreed with an enthusiastic nod. "You must be at least a B-Cup by now!"_

"_Ehhhh?" Kagome cried. "Me?" She squeaked while pointing up at herself._

_That was when __**it**__ happened!_

_The very breath inside of her mouth was sucked back into her throat from a very uncomfortable feeling that suddenly came upon her. All of three of the girls had so absorbed into their conversation that they did not did notice the presence of one of their male classmates behind them, nor did Kagome notice a pair of arms reach around her body. And suddenly, just like that, a pair of hands that were significantly larger than her own suddenly snaked around from behind her and grabbed a firm hold on her developing bosoms. _

_Kagome could not help but scream and draw attention to herself and her unexpected sexual harasser: the infamous Bankotsu Shichinin, the most popular brother of the seven brothers Shichinin that were in her class. The long-haired, tanned-skinned boy, whom she had never spoken to before, suddenly had his hands full of her breasts and was playing with them so hard that it actually __**hurt**__._

_Eri, Ayumi, and the rest of the students did nothing but watch in wonder or in horror as the boy grinned toothily behind the girl as he molested her chest._

"_Wow, Higurashi, I never noticed how endowed you are!" He teased._

"_Ahhhh? What are you doing, you __**PERVVVVEEEERRRRRRTTTTT**__?" The girl screamed so loudly that Bankotsu had no choice but to release her because he never the teacher would probably come charging into the room any minute now._

_Bankotsu grinned and pointed at the girl who was now on her knees, flushing immensely and panting heavily. "Nee, Higurashi," He began with a teasing tone. "It was fun, but I think it would have been better if you'd been a wearing a bra." He stated matter-of-factly. "I suggest that you'd go invest in one soon," He said simply before waving and walking away._

"_Shi-chi-nin… Ban-kot-su…" Kagome seethed silently through pent up rage and humiliation. 'I'll get you for this…'_

_Better yet… A way to prevent such a thing from happening to eve r again! 'I'll never wear a bra! __**Never!**__' She thought defiantly._

It lifted the green-haired teenager's spirits when the younger teen removed her hands from her face and revealed rosy cheeks. Her eyes seemed to waver with tears. "J-Jun…san…" Kagome began in a watery voice. The older girl nodded her and smiled. "Just now I…" she began in an embarrassed tone. "…I had no clue what you were talking about."

Jun anime felled, but recovered as quickly as it occurred. "Sorry for the odd analogy… I was speaking in the terms of if you were a noble's daughter…" the older teen laughed her own embarrassed laugh this time. For a second she turned her back to Kagome and sighed inwardly, 'For some reason, I can't seem to communicate with her… I can't establish a connection.'

No, she would not give up! Little did she know that behind her back, Kagome was having a silent revelation of her own, one that would cause the girl to do the unexpected.

"Jun-san!" Kagome suddenly exclaimed from behind Jun.

The Tao mistress turned around and smiled at the younger girl with a renewed determination, only to blink when she found Kagome also had a fire of determination burning within her cool-colored eyes. "Hai?" Jun inquired.

"I want one!" Kagome stated with her fists balled up in front of her. "Please help me find the perfect bra for me!" She requested; her lips turned upward slightly. "Onegai shimasu, onee-sama!" she added with a slight bow.

Jun's heart instantly melted while her eyes lit up with joy.

"Of course, Kagome-chan!" Jun responded with an equal amount of vigor. "First we'll need to have an attendant take your measurements."

Kagome nodded and followed Jun to the nearest store attendant that appeared to be free. She had come to terms with what had happened to her quite a while ago… But the experience still influenced her to think that she should never wear a bra… That was… Until the sudden revelation that dawned upon her a few moments ago. Yes; Kagome decided to admit to herself that a bra was just what she needed… But not for the reasons that most people thought of.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Kagome was smilingly proudly to herself as she and Li Bailong literally marched through the corridors of the Tao residence. Kagome proudly walked with her head high and her newly bra-supported chest out. Bailong was trailing behind the girl, his arms full of paper shopping bags from the store Kagome and Jun spent the entire afternoon shopping at. When his mistress requested that he assisted Kagome in carrying her new undergarments to her room, Bailong found himself feeling a bit embarrassed. And a few times during their trek to Kagome's room he accidentally caught a peek of the contents inside the bags. Sometimes something pink and silky, other times something white with small ruffles.

And by no means was he attracted to the girl, but just the fact that he was so close to a female's undergarments made him slightly uncomfortable.

Bailong was snapped from his stupor when Kagome suddenly spun around on one heel, placed her hands behind her back, and sent him an adorable smile up his way, "Nee, onii-sama, do you mind if we take a small detour?" she asked sweetly.

The kyonshi blushed a bit from the sudden change in the way she addressed him. "To where, might I ask, Kagome-sama?" he asked curiously.

"I want to…" Kagome paused and bit her lip a bit; she continued, "Stop by the dojo for a sec." She responded half-honestly. She put an innocent expression on her face to hide her true objective, 'That Tao Ren is gonna be _so_ embarrassed when I rub my new bras right in his **face**!' She thought insidiously. She was going to prove that she was a mature young lady and he would have to take back his bra-less freak comments! It was the perfect plan!

"Ah, Kagome-sama?" Bailong stood there in bewilderment when the girl suddenly began to snicker mischievously to herself while rubbing her hands together like a cliché villain of some kind. He sweat dropped, 'I can only imagine what she's thinking.'

That was when a certain Tao Ren came sauntering around the corner directly down the hall, leaving from a long day of training. He was shirtless, sweating, and, of course, carrying his trusty kwan-dao over his shoulder. Kagome, who had her back turned to him, was too caught in her own little world to notice him approaching.

"Kagome-sama, please snap out of it," Bailong pleaded in a polite manner as Ren walked by; that statement was what caught the young Tao's attention.

The pointy-haired boy came to a halt a foot away from them, turned around and stated, "Just ignore her, Bailong. That girl is a moron." He said that halfway to relieve Bailong of his Kagome-duties, and half to get her attention and get on her bad side… again.

That did it. "Who are you calling a moron, you… you…" Kagome's face flushed with anger. She had been scheming and thinking of ways to bring up the fact that she now had a huge supply of bras when suddenly she heard his oh-so-irritating, pompous voice call her a moron. Who did he think he was to be on such a high horse? He was definitely was not perfect! He was mean, blunt, purple-haired, unfriendly, rough around the edges, and so… so… "Chibi!" Kagome shot back through clenched teeth.

"C-Chibi?" Ren was actually taken aback by the insult. He knew he was a bit on the short side, even with his tongari hairstyle but- "Watch your mouth, wench!" he retorted, not yelling but with his voice raised from his normal cool tone.

Bailong paled as he was suddenly caught in the middle of a spat between two young teenagers that seemed to hate each other for reasons that he could not understand. With his arms full of shopping bags, the poor distraught kyonshi could do nothing but look between the two as they took turns spitting out insults to each other.

"You're such an arrogant jerk!" Kagome exclaimed. "I never did anything to you!"

"Common trash like you doesn't belong in the Tao family!"

"Oh yeah? Whoever said I wanted to be in this family?"

"Good, because you're not!"

"And I never will be!"

"Good riddance!"

"That's my line, you raging, rabid chibi!"

"You damned bra-less, flat-chested freak!"

Kagome growled and lunged herself at the boy, her tiny hands aiming for his neck. _Fortunately_ for _Ren_, Bailong was able to react in time and he was able to catch the girl in mid-lung. _Unfortunately_ for _Kagome_, the kyonshi dropped all of her shopping bags in the process. "Aaaahh!" Kagome shrieked in terror as her bags hit the floor and the private contents of them came spewing out like bra and panty volcano.

The most shocked of trio was Ren. His eyes widened when an array of blurred colors seemingly burst from the bags. To make matters worse, a particular white blur somehow landed flat in the palm of his hand. Kagome and Bailong froze. The young Tao slowly looked down at his hand to find that white, strapless bra with small ruffles around the edges and a small cute bow in the middle rested itself on his palms.

Helplessness… Embarrassment… All Kagome could feel at that moment was helplessness and embarrassment. This was _not_ how she pictured revealing her step towards womanhood! _Ren_ was supposed to be the one with egg on his face; not _her_!

"Ren-sama…" Bailong once again looked between the pair who temporarily ceased their quarreling. "Kagome-sama…" His gaze finally settled on Ren when the boy finally stopping staring down at the undergarment in his hand.

Kagome blinked when Ren coughed behind his other hand while closing his eyes and turning his face away from her. He gripped the soft piece of clothe and wire tightly before extending his arm out towards the rosy-cheeked girl. "What the hell are you waiting for?" he asked gruffly. She blinked again and stared down at it, and then back up at him. "Take it already." He commanded.

Kagome frowned while walking up to Ren and snatching what she had earlier deemed her favorite bra away from the boy. "Hmph!" She said while forcing a glare at him. Her attempted angry face faltered a bit when Ren turned his head to face her head on. Their faces were a mere seven inches apart.

"It's tiny anyway." He concluded in an unimpressed tone.

"GAH!" Kagome exploded once again. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, IT'S TINY, _**TINY**_?"

That was Bailong's cue to start gathering up the rest of Kagome's underwear and stuffing them back into their bags. "K-Kagome-sama, forgive me!" He said, spazzing out as Kagome and Ren began to argue once again. For a moment he paused and looked up at the two quarreling teenagers, only to shake his head and smile to himself, 'those two…' he thought amusedly.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

It was two o' clock in the morning and Kagome awoke from her sleep out of a bad habit. It was that time of morning in which she got up in a bit of daze to raid the refrigerator for a midnight snack to sooth the sudden hunger pain in her stomach. The girl slowly climbed out of the bed, too sleepy and hungry to be mindful of the comforters and sheets that she left messily hanging from the mattress. "Taiyaki…" she chanted, swaying side to side in her dreamy daze. "Taiyakkiiii…" she moaned. It was what her taste buds craved… Somehow, by a miracle of some sorts, the half asleep Kagome was able to navigate through the long, dark corridors of the Tao's apartment complex better than she did when she was awake.

Animal instinct alone told the girl she finally reached her destination: the kitchen. "Taiyaki," she repeated for the umpteenth time while slowly reaching for the handle of the refrigerator. "Ah?" she gasped, suddenly snapped from her daze when her hand landed onto of someone else's. It was so dark and Kagome was only half-aware of where she was and how she got there. All she knew was that someone with menacing molten eyes glared at her through the darkness.

Through the dark, all she could make out was a dark silhouette with a long, sharp-looking horn was turned to her and took a drawn-out, menacing step towards her. It was a demon! A demon was going to kill if she did not do something fast. It took another step closer. "NO!" Kagome screamed while reflexively slapping the demonic offender clear across what she guessed to be its face. The night-gown clad girl took the opportunity to run across the room to the light switch when she saw that her slap knocked the creature flat on its butt.

{Flick}

Kagome blinked and almost fell over when she saw the offender actually turned out to be Tao Ren, clad in only a pair of purple boxers, sitting on the floor, holding a red and slightly swollen cheek. "Chibi, what are you doing creeping around in the dark?" Kagome asked indignantly while balling up her fists.

Once Ren snapped from the stupor that came onto him from the fact that he had been bested by a half-asleep girl, he shot an angry glare at Kagome. "That's what _I _should asking _you_, Tsurupettan!" He hissed out his newly established nickname for the girl that was able to get under his skin so easily.

"Tsu…!" Kagome began in a choked out, flabbergasted voice. "Tsu… Tsu…" she could not believe that… that… chibi had the gall to call her, "Flat-chest?" A new fire was in her eyes. "You're such a-!" Kagome's eyes strayed away from Ren's face to his left hand… or rather, what he was holding in his left hand.

Both of them froze, but for different reasons.

On one hand, Kagome froze because she had not been expecting that the boy would wake up early in the morning to sneak off to… do something so… so-!

Embarrassing; Ren froze because he had been caught by the last person in the world that he wanted to find out that every morning he woke up to secretly… to secretly… The boy felt blood rush to his cheeks from the thought of how Kagome would react to his embarrassing secret. The once proud Tao was forced to quickly turn his face away from the girl to hide his embarrassed blush. He was also tempted to find the freshly opened carton of milk behind his back, but part of him knew that it would be futile to try to hide it now.

"A-Are you drinking milk straight from the carton?" Kagome shrieked in a horrified tone with a single finger shaking.

Ren blinked as his blush instantly faded from hearing her reaction… One that he was not quite expecting. His embarrassing secret was that every morning he made sure to drink at least a half carton of milk in order to stimulate his growth because he was, as everyone knew, a bit of the short side for a boy his age. He had been expecting that the annoying girl who seemed to have it out for him to laugh it up and rub his secret in his face, but for some reason, something did not click in her brain and she did not seem to even notice.

Kagome stomped her foot impatiently while crossing her arms and pouting a bit from the Tao's sudden spacey. "Well?" She asked while narrowing her eyes. She had no patience to wait on a response for the uncharacteristically flabbergasted boy; Kagome stomped her way across the kitchen to the quiet teenager, who had finally gotten up from off the floor. "Ohhhhh, so you're suddenly tongue-tied because you've been caught in the act, right?" Kagome inquired a half knowing, half smug tone.

Ren blinked and looked at the girl who was frowning and glaring accusingly at him for the crime of "drinking milk directly from the carton".

It had been a long time since such a rare event like this occurred, but for once in a long time, Tao Ren actually found something funny. He did not want to admit it but the Tsurupettan actually managed to amuse him, despite the fact that it was purely unintentional.

"You know…" Ren stated out of the blue while turning his back to Kagome. For some strange reason, just thinking about the feat the annoying girl managed to pull off… It made a new blush appear on his face.

"Eh? What now?" Kagome asked cluelessly. She frowned and placed her hands on her hips once again and asked suspiciously, "Are you trying to change the subject on me?"

"You're a complete moron," the Tao boy finished while glancing at the girl from the corner of his eye.

"What? What do you mean, you _chibi_?" She added the insult at the end to merely tease him. For some reason when she yelled her retort, she did not feel that she was actually defending herself. It actually felt as if the two of them were playing a game… faking an argument. It was strange, but for some reason, the thought of it… The thought of the two of them not meaning the insults that they threw at each other… made her smile. It was… nice.

"Ch," Ren mumbled while moving away from the girl and towards the china cabinet, where he opened the thin glass door and pulled a large, shiny glass away from its compatriots. Kagome watched him in a curious silence all the while. He poured the milk from the carton until the thick, white liquid filled up the glass to brim and the last, single drop of milk slowly ran down from the spout and dropped into the glass perfectly without causing the rest of the milk to overflow.

Kagome continued to watch Ren for a moment as he stood at the counter with his back to her and he raised the glass of milk to his lips. "You… like milk, a lot?" She asked with a tilted head. It was not a big deal, really; but now that she was here, it made good small talk… Or at least she thought so.

Ren paused in his gulping of the milk for a moment to respond, "What was your first clue?" With that said, the boy proceeded to finish the rest of the glass of milk.

"Okay, but why do you drink so much?" Kagome immediately asked in response.

Another pause. "Because I need it." And he proceeded once again.

Kagome instantly had a follow-up statement. "I heard that the only people who really need milk are babies. So why-?"

"Shut up for a moment, you idiot!"

"Is it because you're short?" Kagome asked bluntly.

Ren spat out the rest of the milk from the sudden insult. The liquid contents from his mouth had spewed and sprayed all over the counter top and a bit on the wall. He quickly turned around to glare and yell angrily at the girl, only to be halted by the sound of her laughter and the sight of her holding her sides while pointing rudely at him. The sound was something almost completely foreign to him and the rest of the Tao family, but at the same time, it was actually pleasant to the ears.

The boy watched as the girl attempted to gain control over herself and regain her posture by trying to stand straight up. "I'm…" She began between bouts of laughter. "I'm sorry!" She managed to squeak out, but she continued laughing anyway. "I'm sorry! But…" More laughter. "I just can't stop!" she proclaimed before laughing some more. "That was _too_ funny!" she added.

Ren huffed and crossed his arms impatiently, "Oh no, don't let _me_ stop you." He stated sarcastically. It took several more seconds for the laughter to slow before finally dying down from good.

Kagome panted for air while remaining hunched over a bit from laughing so much that she had to hold her sides. Muscles that she never knew she had were pulsing and aching from all the laughing she just did. "Oh, Tao-kun…" she sighed. "That was hilarious."

"Hmph." Ren huffed again, regaining his cool and aloof demeanor. "Why did you wander in here anyway, Higurashi?" he inquired in a tone that somewhat demanded to know the answer.

An invisible light bulb sparked on above the girl's head. "Oh yeah!" She beamed from remembering why she had nearly fallen out of bed to find her way to the kitchen. "I woke up with a sudden taste for Taiyaki!" she exclaimed with a knowledgeable pointer-finger standing straight up from the rest of the fingers.

Ren wrinkled up his face in response to her statement and replied, "I doubt you'd find anything like that in here."

"Aww, why not?"

"I don't even know what _Taiyaki_ is."

"WHAT?" Kagome screamed in surprised.

"Keep your voice down, idiot."

Kagome ignored the insult for the most important task at hand, "How do you **not **know what Taiyaki is?" She asked incredulously. "You know, it's shaped like a fish but it's actually a pastry that can be filled with different stuff!" She explained, attempting to jog some sort of old memory of Taiyaki from Ren's brain… But to no avail.

"Like I've said, I've never eaten Taiyaki," Ren stated. "And from the sound of it, I don't want to either." He added.

Ren paled when a sudden expression of new-found determination and resolve appeared on Kagome's face. "No! I can not allow for this to stand!" Kagome replied defiantly. "There's no way I can let you live your life without ever tasting Taiyaki!"

"I told you I don't want to." Ren responded while making his way towards the nearest door, only to be stopped by Kagome latching onto his hand. A sudden jolt of energy surged through his body and with that, he was rooted to that very spot. This girl had a strange effect on him. By a simple touch of her hand on his, Ren's face was burning immensely.

The girl did not seem to notice his plight.

"Tao-kun!" She stated in a firm voice. When did she start calling him that? "Tomorrow- Well, later today" she quickly corrected her mistake. "We're going out and we're gonna go get some Taiyaki, okay?"

It sounded more like a demand that a question.

"No."

"Okay, then it's a date!" Kagome clapped her hands together excitedly.

"Did you even hear what I just said?" Ren asked in an annoyed tone.

"Oh, I'm so excited!" Kagome exclaimed to no one in particular as she began her trek back to her room. Ren's eye brow twitched from annoyance. Obviously the girl had no interest in considering his opinions at all in the matter.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

"Ahhhhh!" Kagome squealed as she cupped her hands together with sparkly eyes of awe and wonder. She had not been in town for what seemed to be ages! Somehow it felt like the tall buildings, the smaller shops, carts, and stands, the people bustling or loitering about, and even the scavenger animals, felt so new and wondrous to the girl as she unconsciously twirled around in circle with her arms extended to her sides while gazing up at the sky. "It's so _**amazing**_!" she exclaimed, oblivious to or unfazed by the strange and incredulous stares from the passersby.

Ren glanced at the gawking people from the corner of his eye and instantly felt ticked off. Kagome did not notice how the boy turned around and glared sharply at the people and sent them scattering away like roaches. Even though it seemed like Kagome was having a good time, Ren felt sickened and disgusted by the very things that girl marveled over…

The filthy humans…

The toxic air pollution released into the air…

The industrialization…

Thanks to all the damned humans around him and billions more, a once beautiful world was now becoming corrupt… Just being out there, surrounded by it all… It reminded the young shaman boy why he fought in the first place, and why he hated humans… Every single one of them… Ren looked down at his right hand that was resting at his side. It was balled up into a tight fist and shaking immensely from anger. He had to leave, or else he was not going to be able to control himself, or his anger. The Tao looked over his shoulder at Kagome, who was still proclaiming her excitement at being downtown with her back facing him. 'Tch, she'll be fine,' he thought to himself as he began to take his first step to escape.

Suddenly a firm grip from a hand on his shoulder stopped him in his tracks. "Nee, Tao-kun," Kagome began. "You weren't planning on ditching me, _were you_?" she asked with an aura that seemed to pulsate with dark energy.

Ren faltered a bit before regaining his stony composure. "And if I was…?" he asked challengingly and curiously at the same time. He did not care if they ended up making a scene in public. Arguing with Kagome would be a good way to blow off some steam.

The Tao stood his ground as Kagome took two slow and silent steps toward him so that they were standing chest to chest. She leaned her head slightly over his shoulder so that her lips were planted less than an inch away from his ear.

"If you do anything to embarrass me or ruin this outing, I'll tell Onee-sama, Onii-sama, and Bason-sama…" she paused for a moment to create a tense atmosphere. "Your… _se-cre-t_." She whispered.

Ren instantly took a step away from the girl as if what she had said had literally burned him. The purple haired boy scowled as his cheeks lit up. "You sneaky little, Tsurupettan." He mumbled while crossing his arms over his chest and looking away from her.

Kagome turned back around while throwing her fist into the air and cheered, "Yay! I finally won against Tao Ren!" She grinned. "And because I'm so happy, I'll ignore that Tsurupettan comment!" she added.

"Whatever," He mumbled before looking back at the girl. "Let's just hurry up and find that Taiyaki stand you were talking about." He stated.

Kagome turned back around and smiled sweetly at the boy, catching him completely off guard. "No way!" She replied. "We're gonna take our time and do some fun stuff first!"

"Fun…?" Ren asked while raising an eye brow.

Kagome sweat dropped and asked in a deadpanned voice, "You _do_ know what fun is, right?"

"Baka! Of course I do!" Ren responded in an insulted manner.

"Well, I was just asking!" Kagome stated defensively. "You're the one who doesn't know what Taiyaki is!" she added.

"This is coming from a thirteen-year-old girl who's never worn a bra until yesterday."

"Oh! Again with the bra thing, huh?" Kagome screamed. "You're such a creep! I bet you enjoyed touching my bra yesterday!"

"A-As if anyone would ever want to touch to do anything like that you!" was his retort.

"Hpmh! What's that supposed to mean? For your information, I've got a decent line of potential boyfriends, buddy boy!" Kagome retorted while violently poking her finger into Ren's chest, which only served to annoy him even further. He huffed while smacking the offending finger away dismissively.

"Tch, then they all have pretty bad taste." He concluded in a quieter tone; his voice lowered because after the short shouting session, his temper immediately cooled down. Despite that he felt slightly less tense than before, he still was not going to lose to the girl.

"Oh yeah?" Kagome asked with a small pout. "What kind of girl would _you_ like?"

"Hmph, some girl who isn't annoying," He stated honestly. "And preferably shorter than me."

"I don't think that second one is possible," Kagome replied while snickering a bit.

"Oh shut it, baka," He replied. "You're a bit on the short side yourself."

Kagome blushed a bit and placed her hands on her hips, "I don't care! 4'9" is the perfect height for me!" She stated with shaky confidence.

"…We're the same height then…" Ren admitted.

"That's a lot worse for you than it is for me though," Kagome pointed out.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

"Here it is!" Kagome announced as she and Ren happened upon a small area in the city that was what one would call a clearing. The area was a square of land with an area of about four-hundred square feet with small snack carts and stand surrounding most of the perimeter, a huge water fountain at the center, and a few baby trees and benches scattered here and there. Ren scanned the area and was satisfied when he noticed that it had such a peaceful atmosphere.

For a moment Kagome stopped and stated with a soft smile, "I've always wanted to come here, but I've never had the chance to since it's so completely out of the way when I'm going to and from school."

"Let's just do this alrea-" Ren began say impatiently but he halted in his tracks when he noticed something new about this square of land. The people that hung around here were all teenagers grouped in couples complete with a single male and a single female. And most of them were not even buying or eating anything from the stands and carts… No, they were eating-.

The boy flushed and slapped a hand over his face half from embarrassment that he was surrounded by mostly older teens that were getting cozy with each other in public and half from irritation that the idiot girl next to him _would_ choose to come to a place like _this_ to find the treat she craved. Somehow, it seemed like whenever he was around the girl, he ended up in an undesirable predicament.

"He-lllllllloooooo?" Kagome stated seemingly out of the blue while waving her hand in front of Ren's face. He blinked once before slapping it away like a flying insect. "Stop spacing out on me!" She chastised with a pout.

"Whatever."

With that said, the two journeyed across the square and passed by several couples who were making out with each other. It only made Ren feel even more uncomfortable, but Kagome did not seem to notice. She only smiled happily because soon she was going to finally satisfy her taste for Taiyaki! Meanwhile Ren could not help but look around at the other couples… He felt so out of the place. And yet, Kagome continued to drag him by the hand towards their destination.

Once they arrived the smiling man behind the cart asked customarily, "Good afternoon to you. What type of filling would you like for your Taiyaki, young lady?"

Kagome smiled and answered immediately, "Chocolate, please!"

The man nodded at the girl before looking at the boy standing behind her. "And for the young gentleman?" he asked.

Ren frowned and averted his eyes from the man, who automatically assumed that he wanted to purchase some of the commoner food as well… The shaman found that to be impudent, but he did not say so because the atmosphere caused him to be tongue-tied.

Kagome noticed Ren's silence and answered for him, "He'll have one with custard!"

The man chuckled and nodded once again before beginning the procedure to make the treat. He started by filling already liquefied pancake batter into the fish-shaped mold. "So… is he shy, or something?" the man inquired, creating small talk while he worked on their food.

Ren twitched at the question, but it made Kagome beam brightly for some reason. "Well, I wouldn't say that," Kagome responded honestly. "But he is a bit rough around the edges so he doesn't know how to act around people outside of his family and little circle of friends."

"I see, it must be tough to get along with him then," the man replied. Ren twitched again. The man spoke as if he was not standing right there!

"A little bit," Kagome answered again. "But at the same time, it's actually pretty fun too!"

"Fun?" The man asked, the smile plastered to his face never left as he began filling one side of the mold with the chocolate filling Kagome had asked for.

Kagome smiled some more and nodded, "Yeah! It's kind of like playing one of those dating sim games!" She stated. "Say or do the wrong thing and he completely bites your head off; say or do the right thing and you rewarded by seeing him do something really cute!" She explained while turning her at head over her shoulder to smile at Ren, which caused him to stiffen and blush a bit. Kagome turned her head back to the man and stated while pointing over her shoulder at the boy, "Ha ha, just like that!"

"Hey you idiot, stop saying ridiculous things!" Ren finally managed to say.

"Sounds like fun," the man concluded while handing the two finished products to Kagome, who went sparkly eyed upon looking down at them. "That'll be 287.41 Yen."

Kagome smiled and nodded as she handed the two treats to Ren. She reached into the small, blue-jean-style purse swung over left shoulder for her wallet. "Eto…" She mumbled while rummaging through the many things she had stuffed inside in case of emergencies. "One sec…" She said after another ten seconds of fruitless searching. The girl blushed; now she was embarrassed for taking so long to find her wallet. 'I know I put it in here…' she thought to herself.

Ren rolled his eyes before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the first paper bill that he found and placing it on the counter-top of the stand. "Keep the change," He stated.

The man looked down the bill and his eyes instantly widened from shock. He looked back up at the boy, who was no longer paying him any more attention. The cart-owner immediately snatched the bill and shoved it into his pocket instead of the cash register. He did not know who this child was, but he must come from a family that lived in extravagance to so freely hand over a 10,000 Yen bill without caring about the change.

Meanwhile, Kagome was panicking while dumping the contents of her purse onto the ground. "Where is it?" She exclaimed. "My wallet! I know I brought it!" The girl looked at the scattered items before her blue-gray eyes settled upon the small white-kitten designed wallet that she sought. "Yattaaaa!" She cheered while raising her wallet into the air without a care about who saw. "I found it!"

"That was pointless; they've already been paid for," Ren stated while walking passed the girl, without bothering to help her gather her belongings, and made his way towards an empty bench near the fountain. He sat down and sighed a bit; this afternoon proved to be tiring, even though all he had done was walk around town with that annoying Kagome, arguing with her and holding hands along the way…

[Pause]

…Holding hands. Bleh.

Kagome jogged up the bench and frowned down at the boy, "You could have told me that you paid for them." She stated. "Mou… That was so embarrassing; that man was laughing at me back there!" With that said, she took a seat next to him.

Ren simply closed his eyes while handing one of the Taiyaki to the girl, "Consider it payback for all the things you said about me back there…"

"What things?" Kagome blinked.

Ren exploded, "The thing about being around me is like playing a dating sim game!"

Kagome blinked before laughing from realization. "Oh that." She laughed. "Sorry, but it's true!" she replied. The girl then turned her attention to her Taiyaki, she licked her lips a bit in anticipation…

'No.' She suddenly thought to herself and stopped herself before taking the first bite. Kagome turned to Ren and saw that he merely stared down at the fish-shaped treat, just as she had expected. "What's wrong, Tao-kun?" she asked.

"…" He did not answer verbally, but Kagome noticed how he narrowed his eyes at his Taiyaki with an almost spiteful expression on his face.

"Don't tell me you think you're too high and mighty to eat commoner's food?" Kagome asked skeptically. She stifled a giggle while turning her head towards a couple sitting a bit of a ways to the right of them. Ren followed her trail of eyesight while she asked, "Would it make you feel better if we followed their example?"

Ren stiffened and turned beet red when his eyes landed on a couple that were lip-locked in the middle of a make-out session. To make it even worse, the boy gradually began to lay the girl down onto her back and began to nip and suck at her neck, causing the girl to flush and hold back a moan.

Ren snatched his eyes away from the scene and forced a glare onto his bright face, "B-Baka, what are you thinking?" he shouted.

Kagome blinked innocently while raising her finger to point at the couple she had been talking about and inquired curiously, "What's so wrong with taking our food on the go?"

Ren followed the direction of her finger and grunted when this time his eyes settled on the backs on a couple that was leaving the square with their snacks and treats in hand. "Never mind…" he mumbled.

Kagome shrugged and took her first bite of her Taiyaki. Her eyes lit up at the taste and texture of the smooth and creamy chocolate filling that slid into her mouth. The chocolate flavor blended in well with the slightly sweet taste of the batter. It was pure heaven!

Ren stared at the girl for a moment before following suit, biting off the fish's narrow head. He chewed the treat slowly, testing and speculating over the flavor and texture… It was only after he swallowed the first bite did he notice Kagome staring at him with big, curious eyes. "What?" He asked sharply.

"How is it?" she asked. "I mean- I just wanted to know if I chose the right flavor for. I chose custard filling because I can't imagine you eating something really sweet and custard is sort of a rich person's treat, right?"

Ren found that once again, he was amused by the girl. Her reasoning was pretty solid, and her intentions were pure and honest. But unfortunately, he did not find the blissful joy that she did when he ate the treat. It was not bad, but at the same time, it was not as good as she had made it out to be.

"Well…?" Kagome asked with a hopeful tone.

To Ren, the girl was just asking to get her feelings hurt… But… For reason… He did not want to hurt her… So he finally responded after much contemplation.

"I like it."

There; straight and simple.

"Oh wow! I'm so glad!" She stated.

He pretended not to notice how Kagome's entire face lit up happily upon hearing his statement. He continued to eat the Taiyaki, without enjoying it or hating it. Kagome followed suit, but with more blissful thoughts of accomplishment.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Yoh sighed for the umpteenth time that day... Manta and Ryu exchanged worried looks with each other. This was only day two without Kagome around and Yoh was completely hopeless. Ryu made an extra effort to make a big, appetizing lunch for Yoh's sake, complete with all of his favorite dishes. But still, here they were at the table in the dining room with a table still half full of food after a half hour of eating together. Anna quietly ate her portion, Ryu and Manta ate only half of theirs, while HoroHoro finished his and was now working on finishing everyone else's unfinished portions.

"Ano… Yoh-kun…" Manta began in a worried tone.

"Eh?" Yoh lifted his head up from having it down lay down on the table. "What is it, Manta?" he asked in an emotionless tone.

"Eto… I mean…" The blond haired boy did not know what to say to his friend… He missed Kagome too and all but… It had seemed that Yoh was spaced out more than usual, even so much that he had not touched his food at lunch or earlier during breakfast.

Anna looked at Yoh and stated bluntly, "Stop moping around like a love-sick schoolgirl because you're worrying people."

HoroHoro, who had been too caught up in his own world of delicious food to notice Yoh's strange behavior, blinked when something finally clicked inside of his head. "I understand the problem!" He stated suddenly while looking over at Yoh with a sudden dead-serious expression on his face. "Yoh, my friend, the diagnosis is complete; I now know what you're experiencing."

His statement caught the attention of everyone at the table.

"Ohhh?" Yoh asked boredly. "What do the tests say, Doctor HoroHoro?"

"Yoh…" HoroHoro stated in a grave tone while closing his eyes and explaining, "What you suffer from is what all men will eventually have to suffer from. And on one hand, it's shame that you have to experience this so early in your young life, but at the same time, it's a blessing because it is a sign of true manhood…"

Everyone was silent and on edge, waiting for HoroHoro's prognosis.

"Yoh, you…" HoroHoro's eyes snapped open as the blue-haired boy stood up from his chair and dramatically pointed his chopsticks at the Asakura boy. "-miss Kagome!"

Everyone at the table anime fell.

Anna growled as she grabbed Manta by the head and threw him at HoroHoro. Her aim was true as Manta's head cracked right into the blue-haired shaman's, causing both of them to fall to the ground lifelessly. "Don't state the obvious, you idiot!"

"Gomen…" HoroHoro moaned out from his place on the floor.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

It was late in the evening when Kagome found herself parked in a chair in front of the long dining table packed with a large variety of Italian-style food. Kagome gazed at the assortment with eyes full of wonder and amazement. The only times that she actually had the chance to enjoy Italian food was when she went to out to fancy restaurants with her mother on special occasions, and even then Kagome stuck to dishes she knew like spaghetti and pizza… "Sango-chan… What is… all of this?" she asked curiously as the subordinate Tao placed napkins full of silverware in front of each member of the table.

"For tonight's dinner, the chefs have prepared the finest assortment of Italian cuisine including: involtini, served with boiled potatoes; bruschetta, topped with red peppers, onions, and mozzarella; bresaola, drizzled with lemon juice; fonduta, with bread and spiced meat for dipping; gnocchi; cannelloni, stuffed with ricotta cheese and various meats; pancetta; carne pizzaiola; acqua pazza, or poached white fish; pasta alla carbonara; bicerin and bornarda wine for drinks; and tiramisu and torta caprese for dessert, Kagome-sama" Sango replied without missing a single beat.

"Very good, you are dismissed, Sango," Jun stated in pleased manner.

Suddenly Kagome felt intimidated by all the fancy names of the dishes laid out before her. She looked around the table and between dishes to spot something familiar to her or at least something that caught of her eye… But to no avail, she only ended up feeling dizzy and swirly-eyed from all of the foreign cuisine.

Jun smiled softly at Kagome and gestured a welcoming hand in the direction of the young shaman/priestess. "Please, Kagome-chan, you're our guest. It is customary that you choose your dishes first." She stated in a polite manner.

For a moment Kagome looked to her left at Jun, then across the table from her at Ren, and then at Bailong who was at her right, even though he never ate. "Oh… Okay…" She said slowly and in an unsure tone. "Um… I don't even know where to start." She admitted embarrassedly.

"Ren…" the green-haired dao-shi began in a sweet voice. "Might you recommend an appetizer to Kagome-chan?" she inquired.

Ren fought the urge to roll his eyes; instead, he was tapping the tip of his pointer finger down onto the table repeatedly to show his growing irritation. "Not really," He stated, blatantly challenging his older sister's request. He was forced to play date with Kagome earlier, but he would **not** be forced to pretend they were having a fancy dinner with someone special and of such a high social status that she deserved to be treated like a princess. His pride as a member of the main branch of the Tao family would not allow for it.

Jun's eyebrow visibly twitched while her plastic smile remained etched onto her face like a Barbie doll. Kagome inwardly pale and noted that it was not a good look for her. "…_Ren_…" The oldest of the teens began in a venomous tone. "I _highly_ suggest that **you** recommend a dish that our dearest guest might enjoy."

Ren looked up at the ceiling in a bored manner and inquired, "Oh really? Why is that?"

"B-Because… my _dear_ little brother…" Jun began with pent of anger. "We're trying to make Kagome-chan's stay here with us a pleasant one, so that if she ever needed a place to go, she would immediately come and think of us…" She explained through clenched teeth.

"And why would we want something like?" Ren asked once again.

"Because… I hope that one day, when she's older, Kagome-chan will agree to become a part of the Tao family-"

Ren's eyes widened at the statement and turned a look of disbelief onto his older sister, who instantly forgot her anger towards the boy when she saw the rare look on his face. "What are you going on about?"

"Ah…" Kagome sweat dropped as a "creative discussion" formed between the two siblings, who seemed like they never fought over anything. "Hello?" She asked with a nervous smile. "I'm gonna… just go… try something now…" She said slowly and nervously. While Ren and Jun went back and forth on a topic that she did not comprehend at the moment, Kagome slowly reached for the dish that was closest to her: the bruschetta. And despite the fact that it was dish closest to her, it was still slightly out of reach.

"No. Allow me, Kagome-sama," Bailong suddenly stated while getting up from his seat to assist Kagome in retrieving her first portion of tonight's dinner. The martial-artist also began to reach across the table, though it was easier for him since he was standing up and had longer arms.

"It's alright," Kagome smiled a bit and proceeded to reach across the table for the tray of bruschetta, "I've got-." Just as her small hand landed over the tray, Bailong's larger ones landed on top of hers. The two simultaneously looked at each other before they both blushed and retracted their hands away. "S-Sorry!" Kagome choked out as she lowered her hand so that her bangs hid her blush.

"No… It's my fault. So my apologies, Kagome-sama," Bailong replied before scratching his cheek and looked up at the ceiling… Touching the much younger girl's hand was not an unpleasant feeling physically… But he hardly had the chance to do such things during his life and even more so in his afterlife. He still was not physically attracted the girl, but he just suddenly got embarrassed when they both looked at each other. It had just been… embarrassingly awkward.

"It's alright, Onii-sama…" Kagome replied in a low tone. She too was simply embarrassed that something so cliché and embarrassing had just occurred.

"Now, allow me, Kagome-sama," Bailong said as he once again reached for the tray of bruschetta. Once he picked it up, he held the tray out before the girl so that she would choose which one she wanted. Kagome simply grabbed the one in the middle and smiled up at the polite young man.

"Thanks, Onii-sama," Kagome replied before taking a bite out of the grilled, circular bread that was topped with red peppers, onions, and mozzarella. It had her at the first bite. "Wow, it's so _good_! I love it!" Kagome exclaimed before beaming up at Bailong, who returned her smile.

"I'm glad." He replied.

Unbeknownst to Kagome and Bailong, who were getting along like they had known each other for years, the two Tao siblings had long ceased their bickering to gawk at the interaction between the two. Jun took note of how Ren grunted in an unpleased manner and scowled deeply when Kagome blushed from Bailong accidentally touching her hand.

"What's the matter, Ren?" Jun asked with a deviously innocent smile. "Wishing that you had been the one who helped out Kagome-chan instead?"

"Don't be ridiculous," the pointed-haired shaman replied quickly. But he made sure to speak his next statement in clear and loud voice, "I just don't see how anyone at this table can feel comfortable when we're dining with an undead _lolicon_."

Once again, Tao Ren singlehandedly caused everyone in the room to freeze on the spot.

**Chapter 11:**

**Emulate? First Date? – The Two Becoming… Friends**

**!ENDS!**

**

* * *

**

_[Terminology You May or May Not Know]_

_Tsurupettan – Flat-Chest_

_Chibi – Tiny, Midget, Shorty, Deformed Character, etc._

_Onee-sama/Onii-sama – Big Sister/Big Brother_

_Lolicon – 1) Feelings, fetish, or sexual attraction for an underaged girl; 2) a person with a fetish or feelings for an underaged girl, or in more modern Americanized terms, a girl who looks underaged _

Authoress' Notes: Call this a filler if you want but I think this chapter serves its purpose as a relationship-developer for the relationships between Kagome and Ren, Jun, and a little bit of Bailong… But mostly Ren.

So yay, I think I added plenty of Kagome/Ren fluff layered gently through out the chapter for all you impatient Kagome/Ren fans out there. Well, it's finally here and it's here to stay for a while.

And honestly, when I began writing this chapter, I intended on focusing on Kagome's training with Sesshomaru, but somehow it turned into the direction of how Kagome and Ren's relationship develops… which I feel is important because I hate when there's a story with a main pairing like Kagome/Yoh and suddenly a new bishie swoops in and there's suddenly BAM! Kagome/Ren. In this chapter, I aimed for introducing the pairing to readers without shoving it down their throats by adding scenes where Ren is turned on after scanning over Kagome's body or Kagome is suddenly doubting her feelings for Yoh or something like that…

No… I believe in slow and fluffy moments before getting to the hot stuff. Cause I think stories with hot stuff first and fluffy stuff later are just so… I dunno. I'm not good with relationships so I can not say whether or not they are realistic. But… I have my own vision of romance, let's just say that… I just hope my vision is enough to satisfy everyone. I guess you could say that I like the type of fluff that makes you feel all giddy and bouncy on the inside… You know? Like a school-girl romance of some sort.

And as for the flashback with Kagome's first encounter with Bankotsu, let me just say two things.

There are two sides to every story so don't freak out just yet.

It won't be the last we hear of the Shichinin Brothers.

Anyway, enough explaining and rambling. This chapter is one of the longest of all so I hope everyone who reads will take the time to review because I've been working on this for more than two weeks now…

And as far as Kagome/Yoh fans, Kagome/Hao fans, etc…

Well… prepare to starve some more… Your only rations will include occasional peeks at life without Kagome for poor Yoh-kun, which was lacking in this chapter but I will give more insight in chapter 12.

**Key Words For the Next Chapter: Training, Branch Family, Kohaku, Angst, Punishment**

Okay, thanks for reading everyone!

R&R, Please!


	12. Secrets of Sango A Spiteful Plot

Authoress' Notes: Hiiiii, I'm back again! You guys were skimpy on the reviews, as usual… But whatever. One day you may find that I might not take the time to update again. Lol. This is my longest, continuous story yet, 12 chapters! That's a shame, isn't it? Oh well, I'll try to update at least once a month from now on, okay? But I'll only keep up my end of the bargain if you guys keep up yours.

Special Chapter Dedication to: Me! For actually continuing this after not updating in such a long time again!

Disclaimer: Seriously? Does anyone even write these anymore? O_x It's obviously called fanfiction for a reason.

* * *

_**Previously on Shaman King…**_

"_It's alright, Onii-sama…" Kagome replied in a low tone. She too was simply embarrassed that something so cliché and embarrassing had just occurred._

"_Now, allow me, Kagome-sama," Bailong said as he once again reached for the tray of bruschetta. Once he picked it up, he held the tray out before the girl so that she would choose which one she wanted. Kagome simply grabbed the one in the middle and smiled up at the polite young man._

"_Thanks, Onii-sama," Kagome replied before taking a bite out of the grilled, circular bread that was topped with red peppers, onions, and mozzarella. It had her at the first bite. "Wow, it's so good! I love it!" Kagome exclaimed before beaming up at Bailong, who returned her smile._

"_I'm glad." He replied._

_Unbeknownst to Kagome and Bailong, who were getting along like they had known each other for years, the two Tao siblings had long ceased their bickering to gawk at the interaction between the two. Jun took note of how Ren grunted in an unpleased manner and scowled deeply when Kagome blushed from Bailong accidentally touching her hand._

"_What's the matter, Ren?" Jun asked with a deviously innocent smile. "Wishing that you had been the one who helped out Kagome-chan instead?"_

"_Don't be ridiculous," the pointed-haired shaman replied quickly. But he made sure to speak his next statement in clear and loud voice, "I just don't see how anyone at this table can comfortable when we're dining with an undead lolicon."_

_Once again, Tao Ren singlehandedly caused everyone in the room to freeze on the spot._

**Chapter 12: **

**Secrets of Sango – A Spiteful Plot**

When she was born, she was immediately given the name Sango for whatever reason that her mother had… She had never known her very well, nor did she remember much about her. Sango's mother perished upon giving birth to Kohaku, her younger brother… As far as the fifteen-year-old girl was concerned, being born in the Tao family was a curse… _Especially_ because she and her brother were unfortunate enough to be born as members of the _branch_ family and not the _main_ family like her master and mistress: Tao Ren and Tao Jun, who were also her cousins.

Her father used to tell her that the moment that she was born, it had been decided that she was to be live a life of servitude to Tao Jun, her senior cousin by a mere two years. And when Kohaku was born, it had been decided that he was to serve Tao Ren, his senior cousin of also two years, all of his life.

From the moment that she could speak, Sango had been given lessons in servitude, obedience, and submissiveness. All of her childhood innocence had literally been whipped out of her until she understood that her sole purpose in life was to serve Jun and only Jun…

However, the one light of her life came when she was nine years old: the day that she had been deemed worthy enough of becoming a shaman. That day was the day when she had been given her first birthday present: her guardian spirit, the spirit of a two-tailed demon cat named Kirara. Sango had taken a liking to Kirara immediately because she found that she and the spirit were very alike, despite them being also very different. Like Kirara, most of the time she fooled people with the appearance of docile and loyal companion; but truthfully, she was a strong and powerful warrior. And of course with the power she had gained when she began her shaman training, Sango had begun to yearn for things she had never desired before: like freedom, respect, and a voice.

But because she was a subservient member of the branch family, it had seemed like the life of freedom and choice that she had dreamed of was unattainable. However, one night, when she was ten years old, Sango had gotten a whiff of what a free life was like and ever since then, she had been secretly addicted to it.

_It was a hot summer night… So hot that every member of the Tao family had been restlessly tossing and turning through the night during the hours of their rest. It was always that on nights like these, Tao Kohaku, six years old, the younger brother Tao Sango would awake from his fruitless slumber and venture across the Tao manor to his older sister's room so that they could stay up and do fun things freely until the crack of dawn. This night was no different._

"_Hey, an__e__ue… Are you awake?" The small boy asked in a curious yet desperate voice. The boy shook the slumbering pre-teen's shoulder as she continued to doze silently on her side. "An__e__ue! Come on! I can't sleep." Kohaku pleaded as tears began to form in his eyes. Usually his older sister was quick to wake up, no matter what time of night._

"_Kohaku…" Sango grumbled in a droopy-eyed, half-asleep state. Although the girl had still not gotten up completely, Kohaku's eyes lit up in the darkness as a big and happy smile crossed his freckled face. "What is it?" she asked, if she did not know._

"_I want to play." Kohaku stated straightforwardly; speaking that way was only acceptable to and around his sister. His uncle, aunt, and two older cousins, whom he shared his home with, were of a higher social status than he was… Not that he knew what it __meant exactly__. All __that__ the boy knew __was__ that he had to treat them like kings and queens._

"_Mm…" Sango moaned when she tried to move her body, but she had been worked so hard that day that her body needed much rest and it refused to move until morning. "Kohaku, I'm too tired right now… It's been a long day…"_

"_B-But! I can't sleep!"_

"_Okay… You can head outside to the garden and hide. And in five minutes… I'll come to find you…" Sango replied halfheartedly. She would do anything to get more sleep right now. And besides, the garden was the furthest that branch family members were allowed to go on their own._

"_Okay!" Kohaku nodded and chirped before clumsily scrambling off of his sister's bed. _

'_Five minutes…' she thought groggily before drifting back off into sleep. Although the girl had planned to wake after five minutes, she actually had no clue how long she had been sleeping until Kirara, in her tiny cat form, hopped onto her bed and began to paw at her face. _

"_Kirara… stop…"Sango groaned in her sleep before turning over. The rest she was getting much needed and she could literally feel her body becoming more and more rejuvenated… It felt… good. "Just let me sleep for a bit more." _

"_Mew!" the two-tailed demon cat shot back._

_Sango's eyes snapped open and she sprung out of bed. "What do you mean?" The yukata-clad girl inquired in an angry tone. "There's no time to waste: take me to Kohaku!" She commanded in an urgent manner. The demonic spirit instantly complied to her mistress' command and transformed into __her__ much larger and much more ferocious form. Sango slid open her large window and Kirara flew out it, busting through some of the dry wall and bricks as she went. The trained shaman followed her companion and jumped from the fourth story window, skillfully landing on her the giant cat's back as she flew by to catch her mistress._

"_Hurry, Kirara!" Sango commanded as she tightly gripped onto her companion's golden mane. If what Kirara said was true, then Sango knew Kohaku was in trouble and she would have to fight to get him back before it was too late! Sango looked back at the huge mansion as she and Kirara flew over its tall, iron gates… She knew she was going to suffer a painful punishment once she returned for leaving the grounds alone and without anyone's permission, but because it was for her dearest and only little brother… That did not matter. And although the situation she was in was dire, somehow, the fact that she deliberately left the mansion without anyone's permission felt good__…__w__ith the wind whipping through her long flowing hair and nothing but ground beneath her. She, for the first time in her life, left free._

_However, those fleeting moments of bliss were to soon come to an end… And buds of hatred would blossom in the girl's heart for years to come…_

Sango's eyes narrowed at the thought of that fateful night… It was the night that everything had changed. Sango had begun seeing the world, more specifically: the Tao family in a new light… That was the night that she grew to hate every single last member of the family, including herself… In her eyes, it was the entire family's fault for what happened to Kohaku that night…

And she would _never_ forgive them.

"Oooooiii, Sango-chan! Are you awake?" came an unexpected, cheerful call from the other side of her closed bedroom door. Sango almost gasped when she recognized the source of the voice: Higurashi Kagome.

"U-uh, yes, I am." Sango responded, unsure of what to do or say at that moment.

"May I come in?" Kagome inquired back politely. Sango blinked, although Kagome had only been with them for three weeks, the girl still never ceased to amaze her. Never before had anyone spoke to her in such a polite tone, like she was someone worthy of respect.

"You may."

After the small yet customary exchange between the two, Kagome wasted no time in entering the room and closing the door back behind her. Sango did not fail to notice the tray of snacks the younger teen carried in her hands. "What is it, Kagome-sa… chan?" Sango slowly corrected her mistake. Although the Tao had been given strict orders to treat Kagome with the same respect as she treated Jun and Ren, Kagome had repeatedly requested that she drop the formality. "It's pretty late," she stated while quickly glancing at her digital alarm clock that read 1:30 AM.

"Oh!" Kagome exclaimed softly, as if she had not noticed. She then blushed a bit and replied, "Well, I'm supposed to be leaving for home next week so I wanted to spend some quality time with you."

"Oh yes, I suppose your training time here is coming to an end, right?" Sango asked, creating small talk as she got up from her bed and sat down on the carpeted rug, across the tray from Kagome, who also seated herself on the floor.

Kagome nodded and smiled brightly, "Training with Sesshomaru has been tough, but outside of that, my stay here was really fun!" She admitted.

"Fun?" Sango asked in a confused tone as she blinked. Having fun with members of the Tao family… Such a feat seemed impossible to Sango. Once again, Higurashi Kagome amazed her.

Kagome blinked at Sango's facial expression; it was distorted with mixture of confusion and uncertainty. "Sango-chan… You _do _know what fun is, right?" she asked. At that moment, Kagome recalled that she had asked the same question of Ren a couple weeks back…

'Wow, maybe everyone in the Tao family doesn't know what fun is.' She thought to herself.

What Kagome had not expected was for her friend to slowly shake her head negatively and visibly deflate in spirit.

"As a member of the branch family…" Sango began in a depressed tone. "I am not allowed such pleasures." She stated honestly. The Tao winced when Kagome instantly scowled and banged her fist into the floor at her statement to show her anger.

"Grr, what the heck is that all about anyway?" Kagome inquired indignantly. "Main family… Branch family… Who cares about stuff like that these days?"

Sango's eyes hardened as her hands balled up into fists in her lap. "The Tao family does…" She stated. "They live by the oldest traditions in history, no matter how cruel…"

Kagome snapped from her angry stupor and gazed at the expression on Sango's face… It was so angry and bitter and so sad all at once… "Sango-chan… Are you… alright?" She asked softly.

"No… I'll never be fine… Not as long as the Tao family lives."

Kagome gasped as she placed a worried fist to her chest. She used her other hand to gently grab Sango's shoulder and asked, "What do you mean by that…?"

Sango scoffed bitterly and she turned a forced smile at Kagome. "Someone like you shouldn't worry about it…" She stated shakily. "As long as you don't become too involved, it won't be any of your concern."

"Sango-chan…" Kagome whispered. Ever since her first meeting with Sango on the first day that she woke up in the apartment, Kagome had wanted to talk to Sango, mostly about why she seemed to despise her own family so much. It was not that she was trying to be nosey, but Kagome just… wanted to see if there was anything she could do to help her friend. "Tomorrow-"

"-Is the fifth anniversary of my little brother's death." Sango finished quickly.

Kagome could not hold in her sharp intake of air at the blunt statement. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be… It's not your fault, Kagome-chan…" Sango replied while picking up one of the treats on the tray. It was shaped like a fish and seemed to be made of waffle. "What is this by the way?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Oh!" Kagome replied, seemingly falling for Sango's escape plan. "That's Taiyaki filled with custard!" She replied enthusiastically. She then blushed and placed her hand behind her head. "It's actually a leftover from when Ren and I went out to town earlier…"

Sango blinked at the statement, "You and Ren-sama… Went out?"

Kagome nodded and smiled embarrassedly, "Yeah, I guess you could call it a tradition or something but for the past three Fridays, we've gone out to town for a day and we get Taiyaki!" The girl then deflated a bit. "But for some reason, Ren was such a jerk today…"

"_Oi, Chibi!" Kagome called after the retreating, spiky-haired Tao as he walked in the direction of his apartment… more importantly, away from her. "Stop trying to ditch me!" She yelled as she stomped after him._

"_I'm tired doing this every week!"_

"_What do you mean?" Kagome asked indignantly, "You had such a good time the first time!" She insisted._

"_I have more important matters to attend to."_

"_Then at least eat your Taiyaki!"_

"_Grr… I don't want it!"_

Kagome was now pouting, "That guy… can be so mean." She then gave Sango a bright smile and stated, "He has PMS just like we do."

"Eh-."

Both girls paled at the joke.

"Kagome-chan…That was terrible," Sango replied, twitching a bit.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry," Kagome stated, twitching as well. "I tried to say something funny about Ren, besides him being a chibi, but then the only thing that came to mind was that and.. and- Eh?" Kagome blinked when Sango suddenly giggled at her antics.

"Kagome-chan…" She laughed a bit. "You… never cease to amaze me."

Kagome smiled and said, "Sango-chan, this is the first time I've heard you laugh! It sounds so pretty!"

Sango blushed at the compliment from the younger girl and then she slowly waved her hands dismissively, "Heh, thanks but not really." She said humbly. "You flatter me."

"No, really!" Kagome insisted with bright eyes. "What else makes you laugh?"

Sango stifled a chuckle as she stood up and slowly walked over to her closet. "Well, I don't know about laugh, but…" Kagome watched as Sango stooped over and picked up a box filled with what seemed to be towels. The older girl gently placed the box down onto the floor in front of Kagome and upon peering into the box, Kagome's face lit up. "_She_ makes me smile." Inside the box, a small two-tailed cat laid sleeping on her side. From what Kagome could see, the cat had golden fur and small mane, like a lion, black strips across her split tails, and black diamond on her forehead.

"She's so cute, Sango-chan!" Kagome cooed, causing the cat's red eyes to flutter open. "She's a nekomata, right? I've only seen in her old scrolls at my family's shrine."

"Yes, her name is Kirara," Sango replied. "She's my primary spirit."

"Wow!" Kagome clapped her hands excitedly together. "That's so awesome!" She exclaimed.

"You mean, you're not afraid of a demonic spirit?" Sango inquired. "Especially being a priestess; demons are you sworn enemy, right?"

Kagome shook her head and replied, "I never told you, but my primary spirit is also a demonic spirit. I'm sort of like you, expect mine is a demonic dog." The girl looked over her shoulder and said, "Sesshomaru, don't be shy: show yourself." The girl smiled upon the sight of her primary spirit.

Sango held back a gasp as she gazed up at the image of intimidation and beauty. Just by looking at him alone, Sango could tell that he used to be an upper class demon. His pale skin was adorned by red and blue striped markings, he adorned a most sophisticated and aristocratic combination of haori and armor, upon the crown of his proud head was a waterfall of silver hair, his eyes were as pure as gold, and blue crescent moon was printed in the middle of his widow's peak.

Sango felt her cheeks flushing just from the sight of him; not that she was one for superficial things as physical appearances. "I see… a dog demon, huh?" Sango inquired. "It must take great power to merge with him, huh?"

Kagome blushed and scratched her cheek a bit, "Well, yeah… Considering that we have dual natures, oversoul with Sesshomaru has always been tough… It was very painful from the beginning, but now, it only hurts a bit." She smiled. "But I know one day we'll get it right!" she said optimistically.

"You have high hopes, Kagome-chan." Sango smiled at the girl while taking a bite out of her Taiyaki; the older teen suppressed a moan of pleasure at the new and exquisite flavor. "Whenever you merge with Sesshomaru, you're taking in what literally is the bane of your existence as a priestess."

"Watch it, girl."

"Now, now, Sesshomaru. Be nice."

"Forgive my phrasing." Sango stated politely. "So… Kagome-chan, you'll be participating in the Shaman Tournament, right?"

Kagome nodded and replied, "Yup! And now that I've been training, I think I can handle my own in a battle!" She said with a bit of pride in her voice.

"But you know…" Sango began in a worried tone. "The Shaman Tournament is serious business; many great shamans die when they participate. It'll not only be a battle or two, but a war." She informed the younger girl. "And also, only one person can be Shaman King, so that means you'll have to take on your friends as well if you plan to be number one."

Kagome sighed as she leaned back a bit. "Yeah, I know that part…" She admitted. "I've actually been thinking a lot about it lately… Do I really want to fight my friends? And is new purpose for being Shaman King as legitimate as everyone else's?" she wandered aloud.

"May I ask… Why _do_ you want to be Shaman King?"

"Heh, well, actually I didn't want to be Shaman King in the beginning. I only wanted to be a shaman so I could chase after Yoh." Kagome said honestly as a serene smile came to her face at the thought of her best friend. Sango noticed the endearing expression on Kagome's face when she uttered "Yoh's" name; she would ask who that person was later. "But now…" Kagome continued while blushing a bit. "I actually have a purpose." Kagome looked at Sango and said, "I would tell you but it's so silly that I'm too embarrassed."

Sango stifled a chuckle at the girl's modestly and replied, "You can tell me anything, Kagome-chan. I'm in no position to ever laugh at you."

"Okay…" She replied, easily convinced. "Well, my dream is the make all of my friends' dreams come true." She stated honestly.

Sango paused, taking in the girl's confession.

Kagome blushed at her friend's sudden silence and she began flailing her arms about frantically, "See? I told you it was silly! Now you think I'm an idiot or that I'm weird or-"

"That's not it at all," Sango cut in. "…It's just that… You did it again, Kagome-chan… You amazed me."

Kagome instantly ceased her panicking. "Eh? But how?"

"Because… I expected you to have a selfish wish, just like everyone else," Sango said. "No matter how much every shaman claims they simply want to change the world for the better by becoming Shaman King, in the end, they're ultimately doing it for their own personal or special reason or gain… That's the way humans are." She stated. "We try make our actions appear good and selfless by implying that it is simply for the sake of another and yet… It's only a façade."

Kagome shook her head in a disagreeing manner and replied, "Well if that's true then I'm just like everyone else." That statement caught Sango's attention. "My dream is the make my friends' dreams come true so they can be happy… By your standards, I am being selfish because it brings me joy to give joy to my friends…"

"Hm… You're right…"

"If everyone looked at the world through that lens then we would live in one dreary world…" Kagome stated while closing her eyes and sighing.

"You're something special, Kagome-chan." Sango said freely. "While you're so innocent and naïve, at the same time, you seem so wise and knowledgeable."

Kagome went beet red at the compliment and began denying the accusation. "Not at all! I-I was just trying to sound like Yoh there! H-He's the great philosopher, not me!"

Sango smiled, "That reminds me… Who is this… Yoh person you speak of?"

Kagome's heart began to pound at the sound of his name. "Yoh is… my best friend."

"A future lover?"

"Eh? Oh no! He already has a fiancé!"

"I see… So is your love for him… unrequited?"

"L-L-Love?" Kagome shrieked with a redden face as she shot to her feet. "O-Of course not! Because- I love him as a friend and he l-l-loves me in the same way! If he didn't, then I wouldn't be able to call him my best friend!"

Sango smiled widely at this. Suddenly, she was feeling very… interested in the girl's love life. Or it had just been that she thought it was very cute how easily flustered she could become. "Is that so?" The Tao asked while nipping casually at her Taiyaki. "If not Yoh, then is there _any one_ in particular that you have a crush on?"

Kagome dove onto Sango's bed and climbed beneath the covers to hide her face as she replied, "Of course! I'm still young ya know! I shouldn't have to worry about things like that!"

"Judging by how frantic you are, you must at least have a suitor or two." Sango insisted.

"…W-Well… There are some guys that I _think_ might like me…" Kagome stated. "Maybe." She squeaked out the last word.

Sango laughed at Kagome's mannerisms and said, "You don't make much of a Tao, Kagome-chan. That's for sure."

Kagome then sat up completely as she proclaimed, "That's one thing I don't get! Why has everyone around here keep talking about me being a Tao every once in a while?"

Sango fell over.

"Ka-Kagome-chan…" Sango stuttered as she struggled to regain her composure. "Please tell me you're joking." The girl's sudden silence and clueless expression told Sango that she not kidding.

"Oh… They sure picked a thick-headed one." The Tao muttered.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing at all."

And two continued to gossip and share experiences and things about themselves with each other. It was actually funny how they never knew until that night how much alike they really were. They both had younger brothers, both owned cats, and both had demonic spirits are their primary spirits.

But Sango knew one thing for sure.

She would make sure that Kagome would never even have the _opportunity_ to share the same last name she did.

Sango refused to allow her sweet friend to have to suffer and deal with the anguish of being a Tao. Tomorrow would be the fifth anniversary of Kohaku's death, and soon, it would also be remembered as another fateful day of death…

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Sango had not slept a wink all night. Even after Kagome had fallen asleep around five am, Sango was kept awake all night because her mind was racing with grim thoughts and how she would execute her plan…

She had planned out her revenge plot three years ago, but never before had she had the courage to actually go through with it… But ever since she had grown to adore the girl known as Higurashi Kagome, Sango had made up her mind a few days ago and now that she figured that she was physically and mentally capable of such a bloody task, she would do it.

And at the crack of dawn, Sango began her daily routine of washing herself of yesterday's grime so that she could properly prepare breakfast for her masters. Unlike Kagome and her two cousins, Sango did not have a bathtub in her room: only a shower with see-through curtains… As a member of the branch family, she did not have the right to privacy… or so she had been told. When she and her cousins lived back the mansion, she did not even have curtains, or her own private bathing area. All of the branch family members of same sex shared a dimly lit room with a handful of standup showers.

However, when she was ordered to accompany Jun to Japan when she had followed after her younger brother, the green haired Tao bent traditional rules a bit and gave her curtains for her shower….

But Sango figured that was only because one morning she had woken up an hour late and Ren busted into her bathroom to chastise her… Only to get an eyeful of what an older female's body looked like.

The boy flushed only slightly and still managed to demand to know where his breakfast was. At that time, Sango had to resist the urge to punch the boy's lights out. Sango sighed as she recalled the memory; somehow, it felt she was forever scarred by that moment… Like no one would ever want her now.

'I'll only have to endure this for a little while longer…' Sango thought to herself. With that soothing thought, the girl continued about her morning routine. She dressed herself in normal attire, a pink and green kimono. She cleaned up any messes around the house. She prepared the breakfast for her masters and their guests. And then she went to fetch each member of the breakfast party one by one, starting with Ren and ending with Kagome, who had been still sleeping in her room after a long night of talking.

"Thank you, Sango." Jun replied customarily. "You are dismissed."

"Of course, Jun-sama," Sango stated just as she usually did. "Please enjoy your meal." With that said, the Tao bowed deeply before exiting the scene, unbeknownst to the worried expression Kagome sent at her.

"Sango-chan… Has gone through a lot…" Kagome thought aloud. She stiffened at the intense look Ren sent her way and the saddened one Jun had.

"Yes…" Jun replied. "I imagine that… Today must be so hard for her."

"Tch, it's been five years; she should just get over it," Ren stated simply.

Kagome growled and yelled as she stood up from the table, "Ren, you're impossible! Sango-chan has been suffering all this time and you're acting like nothing!" The girl only became even angrier when she saw how cool and collected Ren was, even in the face of her wrath. However, the boy simply proceeded to eat his meal without another word to her. "Stop acting so cold! Especially towards your own family!" She badgered while shoving an accusing finger down at him. "Main family! Branch family! It's all ridiculous! What makes one member of the family so much more important than anoth-?"

"…Shut up," was Ren's response that became out like a spit of venom between clenched teeth.

Kagome gasped and asked dumbly, "What?"

"I said, shut up, you-stupid-little-girl." The boy stated shakily.

Jun also stood up and ran to her younger brother's side. She placed a comforting hand on top of his and gave it a little squeeze. "Ren… Calm down." She whispered soothingly.

"I can't, nee-san… Not at this point." Ren whispered back, shaking with pent up rage. Kagome paled and was completely taken aback at the piercing look of anger and hatred that Ren suddenly sent her.

"Ah, Ren. I-" Kagome began to say.

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" he asked with venom in his voice. "Don't think you can just waltz up in here and suddenly act like you know me or the rest of the Tao family!" Ren spat her ferociously. When she saw the boy get up from his seat, nearly knocking his chair over in the process, Kagome unconsciously back away from him. Only for the boy, who seemed like a blood-thirsty predator after a defenseless prey, to keep with the same close distance between them by taking a step towards her for every step she took away from him.

Kagome visibly stiffened when she was suddenly sandwiched between the cold, kitchen wall and a suddenly pissed off Tao Ren. "R-Ren…" She whispered in a shaky voice. No… She did not fear him, even at this moment when he glared down at her like he had never done before. No… She was afraid that she had hurt him in some way… It was one of the few times that Kagome stuck her foot in her mouth when it came to her friends… "I'm sorry," She stated in soft and apologetic tone.

Those words seemed to snap Ren out of his angry stupor because he blinked a few times, as if he had been out of it for the past forty-five seconds. "Forget about it," He replied in a forgiving tone that sounded forced. With that said, the boy walked passed his sister and the breakfast table and towards the nearest door.

"Ren, where are you going?" Jun called after him in worried tone.

"I'm skipping breakfast to train." Was his curt reply.

Kagome suddenly felt drained and completely exhausted from the ordeal and she simply allowed herself to fall to her knees. She let out a long and drawn-out sigh before she looked over to Jun, who was already looking at her as well. "Nee-san… um…" She felt that also owed her most welcoming hostess an apology as well. "I'm-"

"You don't need to apologize, Kagome-chan," Jun replied with a warm smile. She then walked over to the girl and extended a helping hand down to her. "It's just that you took us both by surprise with your sudden… tirade." The green-haired Tao helped the blue-haired girl to her feet. She continued to speak, "I just want you to understand that not just Sango is going through difficult times right now."

Kagome nodded a bit and remained quiet as she and Jun took their seats at the dining table once again. "I think… I see that now…" She said. "But I still feel guilty… for making Ren upset."

Jun smiled a bit as she picked up her chopsticks to begin eating her meal. "Don't worry about him; Ren is a strong boy… He's just going through a lot of changes right now and he doesn't know how to deal with them yet."

Kagome blinked and inquired, "Puberty…?"

Jun's head banged against the table surface. 'Kagome-chan… Why is that _now_ of all times you making such connections?' she thought exasperatedly. Jun would admit that by the way she phrased her last statement, most people would think of puberty. But when the question became the oblivious girl who dodged all efforts of suggestion and proposal for marriage… It was just ridiculous. "_Mental_ puberty," Jun finally replied. "Puberty of… the heart."

"I sort of like the way that sounds," said Kagome with a refreshed smile. "Oh… By the way… Onee-san…" She began to say but trailed off. Ever since last night's talk with Sango, there had been something that she wanted to ask Jun… But… It felt like she was prying too much.

Jun looked up from the small plate of eggs and asked, "Yes, what is it?"

"Would you… I mean… Can I ask you something… personal…?" Kagome asked slowly. "It sort of kind of has to do with… your family."

Jun bit her lip for moment and debated whether or not she should share private Tao family matters with the girl. It was not that she did not trust the girl to keep it a secret or that she thought Kagome would hate them afterwards but… The Tao family had dark secrets throughout history, even now in her and her brother's generation. The green haired teen sighed and concluded, "Sure, go on ahead. Ask anything and I will answer to the best of my abilities."

Kagome stared down at her plate. She knew she was making Jun uncomfortable and putting her in a tight spot but… She had to know the truth. "Five years ago today…" she began in a whispery voice.

Jun's heart skipped a beat at the statement; somehow, she knew this question was coming. But still… For the first time in her life, Jun felt unprepared for something.

"What happened to Kohaku… Sango's little brother…?" Kagome asked.

"…I knew from the first day you arrived that you would ask that, Kagome-chan," Jun admitted. "I knew from the way you looked at Sango that first day, that you two would become friends and that… this would come up." She continued to beat around the bush. "Five years ago… It… was terrible… What happened to that boy."

"What did they do to him?"

"The cruelest punishment that you could bring onto a Tao, main branch or not." Jun stated. "Five years ago Kohaku had been caught outside in the garden by some distant, visiting relatives… But they were also from the main branch, like Ren and I… These Tao's were much more strict and ruthless than even my father, so they immediately began to beat him. One of them even went as far as to gauge out his left eye with a spear. Kohaku was afraid for his life, so he grabbed a nearby rock and returned the favor to that member… And he ran outside the gates to try to get away." Jun paused for a moment to take in Kagome's horrified expression. "He got pretty far because they were busy tending to the injured Tao."

"…But… Kohaku died from the severity of his wounds, right?" Kagome asked.

Jun nodded grimly. "Yes… But that's not even the worst of it…" She whispered in a volume so soft that it was inaudible to Kagome, who was left with a full plate and a lost appetite. 'I'm sorry, Kagome-chan… But that's all I can tell you for now.'

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

11:50 P.M. was what Sango's clock read. It was almost time, but Sango had begun preparing hours ahead of time. She was no longer garbed in her pink and green kimono. No… Tonight she was dressed as a warrior. Her brown hair was pulled into a high ponytail that flowed down to her buttocks. Her body was covered in a skin-tight but flexible thick leather body suit that was adorned by pink armor around her knees, elbows, shoulders, waist, and back. She had all of her trusty minor weapons such as her dagger, poisons, gases and such, tucked inside the sash around her waist. Her gas mask was secured around her neck, in case of emergencies. And finally, her trusty boomerang made of demon bones: the Hiraikotsu, was strapped around shoulder so that it was safely on her back.

Kirara, her loyal spirit companion, was at her side in her small-form, in order to not draw too much attention to them. Tonight was only the night where she would avenge Kohaku, but she would also make her great escape and end the history of the Tao family for good. "Are you ready, Kirara?" Sango asked, looking at down the small cat. Kirara mewed back in an affirmative way. "From here on out, there'll be nothing but battles and bloodshed until the very end… You know that, right?" She asked again.

"Mew!"

"And even though you're a spirit passed down throughout Tao generations, you're okay with committing treason with me?"

"Mew!"

"Thank you… Kirara." Sango smiled softly. "I hope that after it's all over… You'll stay with me… You'll come with me… won't you?"

"Mew!"

Sango smiled appreciatively before glancing at the clock again. 11:51 P.M.

"Kirara, it's about time that we go." With that said, Sango turned off her lamp light and two partners sped off out of her room and into the darkness of the hallways. Despite her swift speed, Sango was trained to be as quiet as a ninja. Each rapid footfall made no sound whatsoever. The conspiring Tao sped past Kagome's room, then past Jun's… She abruptly stopped in front of Ren's door, her ponytail swished behind her.

Sango wasted no time in quietly twisting the grand, golden handles, opening the doors, and slipping inside with Kirara behind her. Even the door made no sound when she closed it behind her… Everything was going perfectly… Just as she had planned. Because she never had stepped foot into Ren's room before, Sango had to use her keen sense of hearing to locate Ren by following the sound of his breaths. 'He's still sleeping… Good.' She thought to herself as she slowly approached the boy, who was sleeping soundly in his bed.

11:54 P.M. She had six minutes… That was more than enough time in her opinion. Once Sango stood above the sleeping Tao, she slowly drew her hidden dagger, taking care to not let the metal scraping against the sheath make a sound. 'Tao Ren… Tao Jun… I curse you and the rest of the Tao family for what happened to Kohaku,' she thought spitefully as she glared down at Ren. Sango then took the dagger and held onto its handle with both her hands. She slowly drew her arms above her head so that with a single downward sweep, the deed would be done… 'It's for the best,' She thought to herself. 'It's not only for myself… but for Kohaku… and Kagome-chan too.'

11:55 P.M. The image of Kohaku's sweet, smiling face came to her mind… 'Because of them… Because of this damned family…' She thought bitterly as her heart began to ache at the mental image of younger brother stayed there. His sweet brown eyes, his cute freckles, his ponytail… Everything about him had been so endearing and sweet and precious and… They took all of that sunshine away. They desecrated the only figure of purity in the family… 'Kohaku… I'll make them pay for what they did to you…' she thought determinedly. That was when Sango lowered her dagger and decided that a mere stab through the heart would not do Kohaku's revenge any justice… She had to make to Ren suffer the way Kohaku did.

11:56 P.M. Sango slowly traced the skin of Ren's neck with her blade. 'If I slit his throat, he will slowly die a painful and bloody death… Just like Kohaku did…' She thought to herself. 'And he'll struggle to scream for help and he'll struggle and suffer as he'll try to crawl away to safety…' She thought sadistically. 'Hmph, no one, besides Jun, will miss him anyway.' Sango then suppressed a gasp as she was flashed back to part of the conversation she and Kagome had the previous night…

_Sango chuckled behind a polite hand, "It sounds like you're very fond of this Yoh person, huh?" Kagome tried to hide a smile while nodding slowly. "You say Yoh fought against Ren and won… So how is it that you can stand being around him? Ren, I mean."_

_Kagome tapped her chin and looked upward to think. "Well… I don't know really…" she admitted. "Our first meeting was definitely not on good terms because I ended up slapping him and he knocked me over the head with his kwan-dao." Kagome laughed a bit when she saw Sango's eyes widen a bit at her statement. "But… I don't know." She repeated. "I guess you could say that I've forgiven him." She stated with a big smile._

"_You forgave him after he almost mortally injured your dear friend and put you both in the hospital?" Sango asked a bewildered tone. It was almost hard to believe that the girl sitting across from her was human… She seemed more like a saint or even a goddess by Sango's standards._

_Kagome nodded slowly and explained, "But I must admit that when I first arrived here, I wasn't too sure about Jun's offer… I felt a bit uncomfortable being __near__ Ren because we used to be enemies, but…" She trailed off in midsentence. _

"_But what…?" Sango silently urged Kagome to continue._

"_Somehow, I can feel something different about Ren that wasn't there when we first met," Kagome said. "I'm not sure what it is… But… I think… Ren is like a butterfly."_

_Sango sweat dropped, 'That's one of the last things I would compare Ren to.'_

_Kagome blushed at how absurd her statement sounded and once again began to flail her arms about in a panicked and embarrassed manner, "I mean, as in, it's like he's going through a phase- a change, um… Metamorphosis!"_

11:57 P.M. 'Kagome-chan sees light when no one else can…' Sango thought to herself. She felt her resolve soften at her next thought, 'Could it be that… there's a light in Ren that I don't see…?' She thought back to Kohaku's face.

'No… He's a Tao… The only Tao that was ever pure died five years…' She thought, her heart hardened once again. 'With this dagger, I'll gauge out this boy's left eye as they did Kohaku's…' She thought maliciously as she drew the blade away from Ren's throat and raised it above her head again, but this time with a single hand. 'I have to get Kohaku's revenge before midnight… It'll be too late by then…!'

11:58 P.M. 'Besides… Kagome-chan can't be as perfect as she seems!' Sango thought to rationalize her conflicting feelings. 'She obviously thinks that I'm a good person, but I'm not. I'm as much as the devil as the other Tao's…!' She thought to herself. 'That's why I…'

"_Sango-chan… Are you… alright_?" Kagome's voice.

"_I want to play_." Kohaku's voice.

'Please… stop it…!' Sango thought as she placed a hand to her head to try to quiet down the two voices resounding through out her mind. They were telling her so many different things at once that she did not know which one to listen to.

"_I've forgiven him."_

"_B-But I can't sleep!"_

"_Metamorphosis!"_

11:59 A.M. The sound of Sango's dagger hitting the carpeted floor was that of a muffled thud. Sango then dropped to her knees in defeat… She was both physically and mentally defeated. A thick pressure built up inside of her chest that made it difficult for her to breathe. "K-Kohaku…" She began to sob as hot tears gathered and stung her eyes. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" She placed her hands over her face and cried. "I just can't do it." She apologized, "I'm too weak… I can't… I can't… even though I've wanted to for all these years…" She began to shake with sobs. "I can't kill him. I can't kill Tao Ren." She proclaimed.

_{Click}_

12:00 A.M. Sango lowered her hands from her face and looked over her shoulder to see Kagome and Jun standing by Ren's now lit up lamp. "Y-You two…" She began shakily. "You were watching all this time?" Jun nodded slowly and Kagome only gave her a sympathesizing look that only pained Sango even more. Instinctively Sango slowly turned her head back to Ren, only to be face to face with tip of the kwandao's blade. "Tao Ren… You were… awake… weren't you?" She asked.

"Tch, of course I was." Ren responded in a cocky, matter-of-fact-ly manner. "Even Kagome was smart enough to recognize that you were up to something." He said.

"H-Hey!" Kagome protested from the background.

Sango deflated and whispered, "I see… So I was delusional when I thought that this would be a quick and easy job, huh?"

Ren glared down at Sango and replied, "Because you're a Tao, I wouldn't expect any less from you, Sango. So I'm not even surprised that you plotted to kill me." His eyes narrowed even more as he proclaimed, "But what kills _me_ is that you had the nerve to think that I'm a fool that I wouldn't suspect anything. Even more that you thought that I wouldn't sense you."

"I can see how that could be an insult to you, Ren…" Sango said, deliberately did not address him with the proper honorific –sama.

"Sango-chan-" Kagome began to say.

"Save it," Sango whispered bitterly. "Kagome-chan… You're so naïve that it's enviable. I'm truly jealous." She turned around and sent Kagome a watery smile. "But now is the chance for you to open up your eyes to the real world… to the truth about us Tao's… We are not forgiving humans, we are not to be forgiven."

Kagome took a step towards the two cousins and said. "But Sango-chan, Ren won't-!"

"Stay out of it, baka," Ren cut in rudely. He then turned his attention back to Sango and asked, "You are aware of the punishment for treason in the Tao family, right?" he inquired.

Sango nodded slowly and replied robotically, "For a main family member, they have to spend fifty days in the solitary confinement room… For a branch family member, the punishment is… capital."

"Sango, _kisama_," Ren began angrily. "I think it's about time that I show you what it means to be _a true_ noble from the Tao family." He informed while pulling back his kwan-dao into a striking position.

"Hai… I accept any judgment you deem fitting…" Sango whispered as she closed her eyes and awaited her punishment… 'Kohaku… I'm sorry that I failed you…'

After a moment or so passed, Sango opened her eyes to see Ren's hand extended out towards her. "If you truly have any pride as a human, get to your feet." He commanded.

Sango held back a new oncoming wave of tears and asked worriedly, "What about my punishment?" She glared up at Ren and stated, "You're a Tao! You're supposed to kill me now!"

"I'm not going to kill you," Ren replied, becoming agitated by Sango's actions. "Now take my hand and stand up!"

"Sango-chan, what Ren is trying to say is that…" Kagome smiled a bit. "He has forgiven you." She stated in a soft but proud tone in her voice.

Sango gasped and looked at Ren… She could see it now. There… Inside of his eyes was the bud… A small flower of light was blooming inside of his golden eyes. 'But how…?' She thought confusedly and miserably. 'Tao's are incapable of such… human… emotions.' She thought. 'There's no way that this can be happening.'

Jun then stepped in and stated, "Go on, Sango. Don't keep my dear little brother waiting."

Sango then hardened her eyes and slapped Ren's hand away from her. "No!" She screamed as she snatched her dagger from the floor beside her. "Everyone in the Tao family is a ruthless and heartless killer!" She protested. "That's why I have to end this family, one by one, until everyone, including myself, is DEAD!" Sango wildly swung the dagger at Ren and she gasped as he easily caught her hand. In a split second, Ren swapped the dagger out of her hand and overpowered her by pushing a hand against her chest, causing her to fall flat on her butt.

"Damn it, woman." Ren glared down at her. "Stop being so difficult before I-!"

"What? Kill me? Like they killed Kohaku?" Sango yelled back. "And then what?" She asked through clenched teeth. "Will the same fate that befell Kohaku fall on me as well?" She inquired. "Will you turn me into Kyonshi as well?" She screamed.

Kagome gasped sharply at the new piece of information that completed the dark story of Kohaku's death. "A Kyonshi puppet… Just like… Bailong was?" Kagome asked with wide and horrified eyes. She turned her head in Jun's direction and inquired, "Is that true?"

Jun closed her eyes and confirmed, "Yes, unfortunately; it is true." She opened blue eyes and looked at Sango and added, "However, Sango, you must know that Ren and I had nothing to do with what happened to Kohaku. We were only children back then ourselves, so we were not even consulted about the matter. It is only a coincidence that you were made to serve me and Kohaku to serve Ren."

Sango then turned her angry, teary eyes to glare at Jun, "Then tell me who ordered for Kohaku to be made into a Kyonshi? Who's the one to blame?" She demanded.

"The source of all of our hatred…" Ren replied. "Our father, Tao En."

"Tao En, huh?" Sango muttered and laugh bitterly behind her breath. "It seems that I'll have to edit my plan a bit." She said in a bit of a joking manner.

"Sango-chan…" Kagome whispered as she finally move away from her place by the far wall and walked over to Sango. The older teen tensed when Kagome placed her hand on her shoulder. "It's all over now, Sango-chan," She said with a soothing smile. "So let's all go to bed now."

"How can you trust that I won't try anything when you're all asleep?" Sango asked skeptically. "You know I'm nothing but a bloodthirsty traitor, so why?"

Ren growled beneath his breath and piped in, "Just as Kagome said before, it's all said and done! No hard feelings, it's over now!"

Jun smiled and nodded in agreement, "And we all knew that you wouldn't be able to kill Ren… That's why no one took the steps to intervene or bust you when you first snuck in."

Sango frowned and asked, "How could any of you know that for sure? None of you really know the true me… How can trust and put faith in a stranger?"

Kagome gave Sango's shoulder a gentle squeeze and replied, "Sango-chan, it's because we know the true you that we trust you. And we were right, you see. Because even though you think you're a bad person because you were born a Tao, I still see the good in you, Sango-chan… It's easy because of how much you doubt it; you feel like a monster, you feel guilty because you are still human" Sango's heart skipped a beat at that statement. "Sango-chan… Right now… The goodness in your heart is shining."

Sango had never been so moved in her entire life. Kagome's words, no- even Ren's and Jun's words brought tears of joy, sorrow, and pain to her eyes all at once. She had never felt so bad yet so good at the same time before. "You guys…" Sango whispered in a watery voice as she choked on a sob. "Ren… I'm so…" Sango did not know why but she launched herself into her younger cousin's arms, wrapping her arms firmly around his torso because while she was still sitting down, he was standing.

"Gah-!" Ren stiffened and flushed from the sudden and unexpected physical contact with his older cousin. "Ba-Baka!" Was the only thing he could get out. She only tightened her grip around him and sobbed hard into his chest.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Sango cried. "You may forgive me but… I don't know if I can forgive myself! Or if Kohaku can… B-But…"

Ren, inexperienced in consoling a crying girl, placed his hand on top of her head and patted it a few times as gently as he could. He felt so lost, uncomfortable, and… He looked at Kagome and Jun who smiled at him and giggled girlishly. Embarrassed. He would never live this moment down as long as he lived. "Hurry up and stop crying." He commanded.

Sango slowly released him and sat back onto her butt. She continued to sniff a bit as she wiped the remaining tears away from her eyes. "…Thank you." She stated.

"Whatever," Ren replied, crossing his arms while turning his face away to hide his blush. "But just know that the next time you try to pull something like that with me, I'll-!"

Suddenly Kagome placed her hand over Ren's mouth and cut in, "Hug you even more!" She laugh nervously when the boy began to curse and sweat behind the cover of her hand. Because his voice was muffled, Kagome could make out everything he said. But she was pretty sure that he swore that if she did not remove her hand from his "person", he would do it for her… permanently. "Oh Ren, you're so funny." She said with a smile. 'And it seems like… Ren's not the only who has to go through metamorphosis.'

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

"Everyone, I have an idea!" Yoh exclaimed in an energetic and happy tone that no one had heard from him in a while. He, Manta, and HoroHoro had all managed to escape the house after Anna went out for a walk and they were currently hanging out at Jonathan's, a fast-food and sit-in restaurant that served American-style fast food.

"There's a first time for everything, I guess," HoroHoro stated casually.

"That's so mean!" Yoh protested with teary eyes. "And here I was going to let you to talk to Kagome." He mumbled with a pouty face.

"Kagome-chan?" HoroHoro exclaimed while jumping off his seat in their booth. "Really?" Manta also looked up at Yoh curious crossed onto his face.

"How will you do that, Yoh-kun?" Manta inquired.

Yoh grinned proudly, "Hee hee," the boy reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his sky blue cell phone that he hardly ever used. "Ta dah! Remember this, Manta?"

"Ahh, good thinking! The cell phones Kagome-chan bought for us," Manta replied.

"Do you have yours, Manta?" Yoh asked curiously.

Manta gave him a deadpanned look, "As if I'd ever carry that thing around with me."

"Anyway, more importantly, call Kagome-chan!" HoroHoro piped in.

Yoh smiled and nodded before pressing the asterisk button and number one button at the same time… He had learned how to use speed dial a long time ago. He put the volume on speakerphone so everyone could hear the conversation. The phone once, twice, and… A familiar, chippery voice came from the other end.

"Hello?" Kagome asked from the other end.

"KAGOME/KAGOME-CHAN?" The three boys yelled in unison, calling attention to the trio. But only Manta blushed and scratched the back of head embarrassedly when he realized that people were staring at them.

"Oh hi!" She stated in a cheerful, recognizing tone.

"Kagome, it was _horrible_!"/"Kagome-chan, it's so boring around here now!" Yoh and HoroHoro replied in unison respectively. And again, only Manta realized what was going to happen next.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait," Kagome cut them off. "Before you say anything, I have to tell you: I have missed your call. Please leave a message and I'll call you!" The answering machine then beeped to signify that they could begin their voice message.

"Kagome, listen, listen! Ever since you left, I've been so depressed because there's no one else to share Anna's wrath with!"/ "Kagome-chan~! You need to comeback soon because aside from Anna, it's nothing but a sausage feast here!"/"Kagome-chan, the household is falling apart without you. Yoh-kun needs you more than anything right now. Oh yeah! And Ryu disappeared a while back so there are more chores for everyone else." Yoh, HoroHoro, and Manta stated simultaneously in that respective order.

_{Beep, Beep, Beep}_

Yoh blinked at his phone and said, "I guess that was the end of the message."

Manta smiled awkwardly and pointed out, "No one even said to call back."

"She's a smart girl, she'll call back as soon as she gets our message." HoroHoro added.

"I just hope my phone is still charged by then," Yoh said with sigh as he propped his head into hand. "Since Anna disconnected the house phone, I can only talk with this…"

"Why exactly did she disconnect the phone anyway?" Manta inquired.

Yoh chuckled a bit and said, "She says it distracts me from more important things."

HoroHoro took the largest slice of their pizza, which had sat for almost a half house and asked, "Yeah? Like what?" All that the blue-haired shaman knew was that Anna was a bossy yet lazy girl, who wanted to make sure his girlfriend was nothing like.

**S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.**

Anna stifled a sneeze with a single hand. 'One of those idiots must be talking about me.' She thought apathetically as she continued to lay on the floor and watch television. 'I'll make them pay for sneaking out while I was gone too.'

**Chapter 12:**

**Secrets of Sango – A Spiteful Plot**

**!ENDS!**

**

* * *

**

Authoress' Notes: Yay! This is one of, if not THE, most quickest updates I've ever had! Go me! I had been watching episodes 20-27 of _Shaman King_ on YouTube and got pumped from all of the Ren-angst and cuteness! And yeah… I had thought about making this chapter extra long like the previous one… BBuuttt you guys were pretty skimpy on the reviews, so I got skimpy on the update. (shrugs) Last chapter was around 30 pages, I decided to leave this one at 22… Even though I could have gone a little further with it… I decided against it.

And before anyone decides to lecture me about "being a review whore", I'll direct you the super long rant I posted at the end of chapter 5 about my feelings concerning reviews. Here's the link, in case you forgot: /s/4295120/5/Shaman_King So yeah, enough said on that subject.

Important Things List:

* I had hope the previous chapter would shoot me over the 300 mark because I usually receive an average of 20 reviews per chapter… But unfortunately, I did barely made the 20 mark last time. But no worries because that's got me pumped into saying: MY 300th Reviewer Might Receive A Special Prize From Moi! [I say might because there are some reviews that I don't… I just _can't_ call reviews. (In short: Review ≠ "Update soon!") I should not even have to explain myself on that one. Find a dictionary and look up the word "review", the noun preferably.]

** This chapter was definitely **not** a filler! Later on, you will see how this entire mess with the Tao family ties into the bigger plot/conflict of the story. And yes, Sango will now be a major character in this story now… She'll be a new addition to supporting main characters like, HoroHoro, Ryu, etc.

*** Because of Sango's new found significance, I'm going to run another pairing poll just for her… I already have my plans for Kagome and Anna, but I still don't know who I should leave Sango with. SO PLEASE VOTE ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING PAIRINGS:

~Sango/HoroHoro [In which she will be a bit of cougar since she's 2 years older than him]

~Sango/Ryu [In which she will end up with another (slightly) perverted, comic relief character]

Sango/Miroku [A cannon pairing…bleh] And please do not disregard this poll because you're a big Kagome fan. =_=' That will only annoy me.

**** The next chapter will probably put a temporary hiatus on the Tao-saga until the time when Ren goes to challenge his father and gets his $$ handed to him. So darn… Ren/Kagome fans… I dunno… I gave you a little taste in the previous chapter, but this next chapter will probably only piss you off. Lol, lol, lol, I'm so evil.

***** I'm ready to get on with the Shaman Tournament, so it looks you Yoh/Kagome fans won't be starving for much longer… Whoops. Looks like I made a big deal out of nothing. ^-^' Oh well, at least after the next chapter there will finally be some more competition for Kagome for Yoh and not vice versa. Cause you-know-who's grand debut is coming up pretty soon! That's right! TAMAO TAMAMURA! Yay! Lol, and Hao-sama too of course! Ugh, I am just SO ready to write more Hao/Kagome moments… But now is not the right time yet… Gr… But get ready for it… Because Kagome/Harem will start bubbling up soon! Hee hee…

R&R, because you know by now that your reviews are the fuel to my inspiration!


End file.
